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THE 


PERCHERON    HORSE 


TRANSLATED   FEOM   THE  FRENCH^/. 


OP 


CHARLES     DU     HUYS, 

ATJTHOR  OP  THE  "  DICTIOKAET  OF  THE  PTTEE  KACE  ;"  "  TEOTTEES ;"    "THE  BOOK 
OF  THE  BACES;"  "  THE  MEELEBAULL ;"  "  THE  HOESE-BEBEDEB'S  GUIDE  ;"  ETC. 


ILi]L.XJSTR,jV.TE]13. 


NEW   YORK: 

ORANGE    JUDD    &    COMPANY, 

245     BROADWAY. 


Js7  - 

to  Act  of  Con 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1868,  by 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO., 

At  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New- York, 


LoTEJOY,  Son  &  Co., 

Electeotypeks  &  Stekeotypebs, 

15  Vandewater  Street,  N.   Y. 


TABLE    OF 


Production,  REARmo,  and  lMPRovEME?fT  of  the  Percheron  Horse 7 

PART  FIRST. 
Greatness  and  Decline  of  the  Percherons. 

Chapter        I.— Glance  at  Perche 11 

Chapter       II. — Sketch  of  the  Percheron  Race 14 

Chapter     m. — Origin  of  the  Percheron ,;..17 

Chapter     IV. — Modifications  of  the  Percheron  Race 20 

Ch.^.pter       v.— His  first  Modification  due  to  contact  with  the  Brittany  Race.. 21 

Chapter     VI.— Conditions  under  which  they  are  bred 23 

Chapter    VII.— Causes  of  the  Degeneracy  of  the  Percheron  Horse 28 


Chapter  VIII.- Starting  Point  of  this  Degeneration. 


PART    SECOND. 
Of  the  Means  or  Regenerating  the  Percheron  Horse. 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 


..32 

I.— Regeneration  of  the  Percheron  Breed 33 

n.— Regeneration  of  the  Breed  through  itself  or  hy  Selection.  . .  .33 

in.— Consanguinity. . . r, . .-... ^ 38 

rv.— Ought  the  gray  coat  of  the  Percheron  to  be  inflexibly  main- 
tained ? 40 

Chapter       V. — Preserve  pure,  and  without  Mixture  the  three  Types  of  the 
Percheron  Race— the  Light  Horse,  the  Draft-Horse,  the 

Intermediate  Horse 44 

Chapter     VI.— Improvement  of  the  Breed  by  means  of  Foreign  Crossings. .  .48 

Chapter    VII. — The  Arab  Cross 51 

Chapter  VIH.- The  English  Cross 64 

Chapter     IX.— Improvement  by  means  of  the  Stud-book 71 

Recapitttlation 75 

PART   THIRD. 

Inforjiation  to  Strangers  wishing  to  but  Percheron  Horses 81 

Chapter        I.— Food  and  Breeding 84 

Chapter      H.— Trade.    Glance  at  the  moat  celebrated  Breeding  Districts...  93 

Chapter     HI.— Speed  and  Bottom  of  the  Percheron  Horse 95 

Chapter     IV.— Tests  of  Speed  of  the  Percheron  Horse 97 

Chapter       V.— Tests  of  Endurance  of  the  Percheron  Horse 99 

3 


INDEX. 


Arabian,  The  t.vpe  horse 51 

Good  tempered 60 

Crot^s  imparts  endurance 59 

Qnalities  obtained  from 75 

Cross-breeds  easy  to  raise 61-()3 

Disproportionately  small  legs. .  .63 

Labor  at  three  years 61 

Laro^er  than  their  sires 62-08 

Square  trotters 59 

Surest  to  turn  out  well " 62 

Stallions  offer    quick    and    sure 

means  of  improvement 43 

Breeders 13 

Temptation  to  sell &-22-27 

Breeding  Centers ^ 92 

Breeding  In-and-in  fixes  character.  .18 
Systematic.    Opposition  of    the 

Army 73 

System  of 46-62 

Brittany  Horse 21-27 

Cattle,  Charollaise  breed 72 

Cotentiu  breed 37 

Maine  breed    90 

Percheron  breed 89 

Colts,  Cost  of  rearing 23 

Food  of 23-85 

Sale  of  at  six  months  old 23-84 

Sold  to  Beauce  farmers .   . .   24 

Troubled  with  strangles 86 

Weaning 85 

Worked  at  fifteen  months 23 

"  Cross-bred  Horse." .54 

Crossing  with  the  Thoroughbred 55 

Eastern'Blood  imported 18 

Stallions  at  Pin 20 

Brought  from  the  Crusades.   .17-18 
English  and  Danish  Stallions  at  Pin. 20 

English  Horses,  Spurious  ; . .  56 

In  the  Crimea  and  Italy 54 

Too  nervous  for  draft 69 

English  Tlioroughbred 39 

Care  required  in  rearing 61 

Cross    successful  if    used  with 

judgment 64 

Discouraging  results 68 

Fractious  and  nervous 61 

Introduced  into  France 28 

Its  Progeny  heavy  consumers 68 

Possession  tends  to  dissipation. ,  9 

The  Horse  of  Fashion 9 

Fairs,  Improvement  by  means  of 72 

Forage  Plants 13 

Fillies,  Treatment  of 87 

Horse  Association  of  Perche 31 

Improvement  by  foreign  ci'ossings. . .  48 

By  Selection 33-37 

By  the  Arab  Cross 51 

Means  of 32 

Preparation  of  land  for 49 

Preparation  of  a  breed  for 49-61 

In-and-in  breeding 38 

Useful  in  establishing  a  family  or 

breed 39 

Intelligenoe  of  an  Arabian 58 

Of  "l*ipin." 58 

4 


Interbreeding 38 

Land — thorough  culture  esstaitial 13 

Loads  usual  for  English  and  French 

horses 69  • 

Mares,  Care  of  Brood 23 

Mares,  Never  Bell  good 34 

"  Natural  Horse." 54 

Norfolk  Stallion,  Description 55 

Perche,  Department  of— Geography, 
Topography,  and  Agricultural 

character 11 

Effects  of  soil   and  climate  on 

other  animals SB 

Horses  exported  annually  from.  42 
Introduction  of   foreign   mares, 

extensive  since  1830 . . 27 

Loss  of  the  best  stock 27-29-30 

Percheron  Breeders'  character 82 

Percheron  Horse,  Arabian  Origin 17 

Characteristics 7-15-22 

Cared  for  by  Women  andChildren  8 

Color 40 

Color — Gray  the  favorite 41 

Color  Non-essential 43 

Coming  in  Fashion 45 

Degeneracy    26-28 

Demand  for  Export 79 

Difficulty  of  finding  horses   free 

from  Foreign  blood 28-30 

Docility 8 

Eflbrts  to  stop  the  exodus  of  good 

stock 29 

First  among  serviceable  breeds.. 10 

Feat  of  endurance 99 

Food  and  Breeding 83 

Freedom  from  Spavin,  etc 8 

Heavy  Draft  Type,  how  obtained.47 

Height 14 

List  of  exploits  on  the  turf 97 

Mares,  little  pastured 12 

Modern  modification  of  the  breed20 

"  Omnibus  Type,"  how  obtained46 

Prices  realized  by  the  farmers.  .23- 

25-26-29 

"  Primitive  Type." 52 

Proof  of  an  Ancient  breed 19 

Separation  of  tlie  Sexes 16 

Sold  at  Chartres 26 

Speed  and  Bottom 95 

Strength  of  the  type 22 

Three  classes 15-44 

"  Primitive  Horse." 53 

Prizes,  System  of  awards 34 

Given  for  Size,  and  for  trotting.  .31 

Recapitulation 75 

Sheep,  Percheron  breed 90 

Soil,  Influence  of 53 

Stallions, Brittany  and  others, brought 

into  Perche 30 

Not  used  before  four  years  old. .  .36 
Quarter-blood    Eng.,    preferable 

to  full-blood 76 

Stud-book 35 

Strangers,  Information  for 81 

Stud-book,Improvement  by  means  of  71 


PREFACE 


The  little  volume  wbich  is  now  presented  to  the  notice  of 
the  lovers  of  the  horse  in  America  is  a  translation  of  the 
work  of  a  distinguished  French  author,  who,  holding  a  high 
position  of  trust,  made  this  as  a  report  to  the  Government. 
His  views  in  some  respects  may  be  regarded  as  extreme, 
but  on  the  whole  they  are  characterized  by  strong  common 
sense  and  are  supported  by  a  practical  familiarity  with  all 
the  phases  of  his  subject  which  should  give  them  Vv^ eight. 

The  Percheron  horse  no  doubt  stands  first  among  the 
draft  breeds  of  the  world.  His  value  has  been  thorough- 
ly tested  in  this  country,  and  the  fact  is  established 
beyond  a  cavil  that  with  careful  breeding,  and  probably  an 
occasional  renewal  by  the  importation  of  fresh  blood,  the 
Percheron  maintains  his  superior  characteristics,  and  im- 
presses them  upon  his  descendants  of  only  one-quarter  or 
one-eighth  blood  to  a  very  marked  degree.  The  value  of 
fast  trotters,  their  encouragement  by  Agricultural  Societies, 
and  the  enormous  prices  which  have  been  paid  for  animals 
valuable  simply  for  their  speed  as  trotters,  has  no  doubt 
had  a  tendency  to  direct  the  aims  of  horse  breeders  in  a 
wrong  direction.  The  result  is,  from  whatever  cause  it 
comes,  that  the  true  horse-of-all-work  has  been  neglected. 
The  Percheron,  combining  as  he  does  a  certain  attractive- 


VI  PREFACE. 

ness  of  style,  very  free  action,  considerable  speed  united 
to  power,  with  astonishing  strength  for  his  weight,  and  the 
greatest  kindness  and  docility,  seems  to  offer  to  American 
horse  breeders  an  exceedingly  useful  animal,  either  to  be 
maintained  distinct,  or  used  for  improving  our  stock  of 
both  light  and  heavy  draft-horses  by  crossings.  The  value 
of  this  work,  however,  does  not  consist  in  its  recommenda- 
tion of  this  breed,  or  demonstration  of  its  value  in  France, 
but  its  bold  discussions  of  the  principles  of  breeding  as  ap- 
plied to  the  improvement  of  the  Percherons,  and  equally 
applicable  to  that  of  other  draft  breeds,  will  doubtless 
commend  themselves  to  the  careful  consideration  of 
breeders. 

Interest  in  the  Percherons  has  increased  greatly  of  late. 
Several  notable  importations  have  been  made,  and  excel- 
lent representatives  of  this  noble  breed  are  to  be  found  in 
the  Eastern,  "Western,  and  Middle  States.  The  engrav- 
ings which  embellish  this  volume  are  portraits  of  animals 
owned  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Walters  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  through 
whose  interest  in  this  subject  the  Publishers  were  induced 
to  issue  this  translation  of  M.  Huys  work. 


THE  PERCHERON  HORSE. 


PRODUCTION,    REARING,    AND   MPROVEMENT    OF 
THE  PERCHERON  HORSE. 


....  Facilis  descensus  Averno; 
Sed  revocare  gradum? 

Almost  everything  that  has  been  written  about  the 
horse  may  be  reduced  pretty  much  to, — complaining  that 
there  does  not  exist  a  breed  which  unites,  in  an  elevated 
degree,  high  moral  to  physical  qualities ;  modestly  seek- 
ing, and  teaching  the  means  of  obtaining  such  a  breed. 

It  is  reasonable  that  such  sentiments  shoftld  surprise  us, 
here  in  the  heart  of  France,  where,  for  a  long  time,  a  race 
of  horses  has  flourished  which  may  be  said  to  fill  the  re- 
quirements proposed  in  every  way. 

The  proof  of  this  statement  is  easy :  a  hasty  sketch  of 
the  principal  characters  of  the  breed  suffices  to  furnish  it. 

To  no  ordinary  strength,  to  vigor  which  does  not  de- 
generate, and  to  a  conformation  whicli  does  not  exclude 
elegance,  it  joins  docility,  mildness,  patience,  honesty, 
great  kindness,  excellent  health,  and  a  hardy,  elastic  tem- 
perament. Its  movements  are  quick,  spirited,  and  light. 
It  exhibits  great  endurance,  both  when  hard  worked,  and 
when  forced  to  maintain  for  a  long  time  any  of  its  natural 
gaits,  and  it  possesses  the  inestimable  quality  of  moving 
fast  with  heavy  loads.  It  is  particularly  valuable  for  its 
7 


8  THE   PEECHEEON   HOESE. 

astonishing  precocity,  and  produces  by  its  work,  as  a  two- 
year-old,  more  than  the  cost  of  its  feed  and  keep.  Indeed,  it 
loves,  and  shows  a  real  aptness  for  labor,  which  is  the  lot  of 
all.  It  knows  neither  the  whims  of  bad  humor,  nor  nervous 
excitement.  It  bears  for  man,  the  companion  of  its  labors, 
an  innate  confidence,  and  expresses  to  him  a  gentle  famili- 
arity, the  fruit  of  an  education  for  many  generations  in  the 
midst  of  his  family.  Women  and  children  from  whose 
hnnds  it  is  fed,  can  approach  it  without  fear.  In  a  word, 
if  I  may  dare  speak  thus,  it  is  an  honorable  race.  It  has 
that  fine  oriental  gray  coat,  the  best  adapted  of  all  to 
withstand  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  in  the  midst  of  the 
fields — a  coat  which  pleases  the  eye,  and  which  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night  allowed  the  postilion  of  former  times 
to  see  that  he  was  not  alone — that  his  friend  was  making 
his  way  loyally  before  hinx  It  is  exempt,  (a  cause  of 
everlasting  jealousy  among  the  breeders  of  other  races,) 
always  exempt  from  the  hereditary  bony  defects  of  the 
hock,  and  where  it  is  raised,  spavin,  jardon,  bone  spavin, 
periodical  inflammation,  and  other  dreaded  infirmities,  are 
not  known  even  by  name. 

This  truly  typical  race  would  seem  a  myth  did  it  not  exist 
in  our  midst.  But  every  day  we  see,  every  day  we  handle 
this  treasure, — the  munificent  gift  of  Providence  to  this 
favored  region,  to  cause  agriculture,  that  "nursing  mother," 
to  flourish,  and  with  agriculture,  peace  and  abundance. 

I  need  not  name  this  breed;  every  one  from  this  in- 
complete sketch  has  recognized  the  fine  race  of  steady  and 
laborious  horses,  bred  in  the  ancient  province  of  Perche, 
(so  justly  entitled  Perche  of  good  horses)  plowing  in 
long  furrows  the  soil  of  Beauce,  and  thence  spreading  itself 
over  all  Fiance,  where  its  qualities  render  it  without  a 
rival  for  all  the  specialties  of  rapid  draft. 

Hence  it  is  that  all  our  provinces  envy  us  the  possession 
of  the  race,  and  even  foreign  countries  seek  after  it  with 
an  eagerness  amounting  to  a  passion. 


r 


THE   PEECHEEON   HORSE.  9 

The  breeder, — wlio  is  ordinarily  a  farmer,  not  suffi- 
ciently rich  to  be  beyond  temptation, — finds  himself  with- 
out strength,  without  resistance  in  presence  of  this  urgent 
demand.  The  finest  types,  not  only  of  the  males,  but  of 
the  females  also,  are  disappearing  every  day. 

This,  tending  incessantly  to  deprive  Perche  of  that  in 
which  it  is  so  superior,  is  so  much  more  to  be  dreaded  as 
the  question  of  filling  up  the  vacancies  and  of  saving  this 
race  from  a  tendency  to  degeneration  and  from  inevitable 
destruction  becomes  the  necessary  corollary  of  such  com- 
mercial operations. 

Entered  upon  this  course,  if  Perche  does  not  adopt,  with- 
out delay,  salutary  measures,  if  it  does  not  make  a  vigor- 
ous eftbrt  to  place  itself  in  a  condition,  either  to  resist  the 
tendency  or  to  contribute  to  it  in  a  well-maintained  and 
uniform  manner,  the  breed  is  fated  to  a  complete  eclipse  at 
the  moment  even  when  the  future  belongs  to  it. 

Indeed  the  future  does  belong  to  the  Percheron  horse,  if 
he  can  sustain  himself  in  the  first  rank  of  the  truly  useful 
races  until  the  not  far  distant  day  when  that  era  of 
triumph  will  come.  Every  thing  now  seems  to  incline  to 
establish  the  truth  of  what,  at  first,  appeared  a  paradox. 

I  am  aware  that,  for  the  moment,  the  Percheron  has,  in 
the  class  of  fancy-horses,  an  antagonist  that  seem*  to  de- 
rive formidable  strength  from  the  prestige  belonging  to 
eleo:ance.  The  Ens^lish  thorousfhbred  and  its  consjeners  are 
in  possession  of  the  scepter  of  fashion  and  "  hon-ton.^"* 
But  this  antagonism,  more  apparent  than  dangerous,  on  ac- 
count of  the  elevated  but  rather  limited  spheres  in  which 
it  exists,  will  last  but  for  a  time,  and  will  yield  before  rea- 
son and  the  necessities  of  a  difficult  situation. 

Our  age,  factitious  to  excess,  is  governed  by  the  de- 
mands and  temptations  of  a  luxury  which  is  tending  to 
ruin  the  most  solidly  established  families.  It  wildly  suf- 
fers patrimonies  and  fortunes  to  dwindle  away  under  the 
lead  of  a  vain  and  noisy  ostentation,  without  perceiving 
1* 


10  THE    PERCHEROX   HORSE. 

that  already  they  are  decreasing  and  becoming  less  every 
day,  under  the  continued  action  of  the  laws.  A  change 
will  be  brought  about,  and  the  effect  of  an  inevitable  reac- 
tion will  be  a  return  towards  sobriety  and  simplicity. 

Recovering  from  the  intoxication  of  city  luxury,  the 
best  minds  will,  let  us  hope,  recover  their  tone  in  the  quiet 
of  the  fields,  and  agriculture  will  regain  its  too  long  forgot- 
ten rights.  Tired  out  by  allowing  themselves  to  be  eaten 
up  by  that  elegant  guest  called  the  fancy-horse,  and  by  the 
army  of  evil-doing  satellites  following  in  his  train,  men 
will  come  back  to  the  one  which  requires  but  little  care, 
and  which  returns  good  service,  to  the  one  which  does  not 
object  to  work,  the  boon  companion  of  every  man  desirous 
of  following  nature's  law,  which  is  that  of  labor. 

The  value  of  the  Percheron  is  more  evident  than  ever. 
It  is  this,  among  the  serviceable  races,  which  is  called  to 
the  greatest  fortune ;  for,  of  all  the  ordinary  breeds,  it  is 
the  nearest  to  the  blooded,  in  shape  and  qualities.  His 
usefulness  causes  him  to  be  everywhere  in  demand.  If 
the  railroads  have  driven  him  from  the  highway,  they 
claim  him  as  an  auxiliary  in  the  centers  of  population  and 
at  all  their  termini ;  for  he  is  eminently  a  trotter,  remark- 
able for  the  ability  to  move  at  a  relatively  rapid  gait,  and 
excelling  in  the  valuable  faculty  of  rapid  draft.  Since  the 
post-coaches  have  ceased  to  use  these  horses,  the  omnibuses 
of  the  large  cities,  and  those  communicating  with  the  rail- 
roads, require  increasing  numbers. 

This  leads  us  to  seek  for  the  means  of  improving  the 
Percheron  race  and  of  maintaining  it  in  its  original  purity 
and  perfection  in  the  land  of  its  birth.  But  let  us  first 
see  what  is  the  origin  of  this,  race,  what  country  gave  it 
birth,  and  by  what  characters  it  is  to  be  recognized. 

We  have,  for  this  examination,  borrowed  largely  of 
those  who  have  known  and  studied  Perche  intimately, 
and  hope  to  remain  truthful  in  folio wing^hem  step  by  step. 


PART   I. 

GREATNESS  AND  DECLLNE  OF  THE   PERCHERONS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

GLANCE    AT    PERCHE. 

The  Department  of  Perche  is  too  well  known  to  need  a 
description  here.  We  will  limit  ourselves  to  the  remark 
that  this  region,  which  has  become  so  celebrated  for  its 
fine  race  of  horses,  represents  an  ellipse  of  about  25  leagues 
long  by  nearly  20  broad. 

This  ellipse  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  N"orraandy ; 
on  the  west,  also  by  Normandy,  and  by  IMaine;  on  the 
east,  by  the  portion  of  Beauce  including  Chartrain  and 
Dunois;  on  the  south,  by  the  Vendomois — three  portions 
of  the  ancient  Orleanais. 

At  the  present  time,  enclosed  in  the  center  of  the  four 
departments,  Orne,  Eure  and  Loir,  Loir  and  Cher,  and 
Sarthe,  the  territory  of  Perche  comprises  the  following 
divisions : 

1st. — The  district  of  Mortagne  (department  of  Orne)  ; 

2}2d. — The  district  of  Nogent-le-Rotrou,  and  a  portion 
of  those  of  Chartres,  Dreux,  and  Chateaudun  (department 
of  Eure  and  Loir) ; 

Srd, — All  the  western  side  of  the  district  of  Vendome 
(department  of  Loir  and  Cher) ; 
11 


12  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

Ath. — The  eastern  portion  of  the  districts  of  Mamers 
and  Saint  Calais  (department  of  Sartbe). 

It  is  the  summit  region  of  the  middle  portion  of  the 
vast  plateau  extending  between  the  sea  and  the  basins 
of  the  Loire  and  the  Seine.  It  is  here  that  the  rivers 
Sarthe,  Huisne,  Eure,  Loire,  Iton,  Hoene,  Braye,  Avre, 
Gommanche,  and  Percheron  Orne,  take  their  source,  spring- 
ing up  from  the  same  plateau  and  crossing  it  on  their  way 
to  the  Channel  and  the  ocean. 

The  country  is,  in  general,  uneven  and  hilly,  cut  up  in 
every  direction  by  small  valleys  watered  by  springs  or 
small  brooks  flowing  into  the  rivers  above  named.  All 
these  valleys,  no  matter  of  what  extent,  are  natural 
meadows,  and  the  most  of  them  rich  and  fertile.  But 
drainage  could  here  be  usefully  applied  everywhere,  to  rid 
them  of  their  surplus  humidity,  and  to  purge  them  of  their 
too  abundant  aquatic  plants.  The  finest  valley  is  that 
watered  by  the  Huisne,  which  is  second  to  none  in  France 
for  length,  extent,  richness,  and  beauty  of  sites.  Here  are 
situated  Nogent-le-Rotrou,  Conde,  Regmalard,  Boissy, 
Corbon,  Mauves,  Pin-la-Garenne,  Reveillon,  etc.,  etc., — all 
centers  renowned  for  the  beauty  of  their  horses. 

The  land  is  generally  clayey,  lying  upon  a  calcareous 
subsoil  of  the  secondary  formation.  Some  portions  are 
silicious,  the  high  and  hilly  points  always  so. 

The  Percheron  country  contains  rather  few  meadows, 
in  proportion  to  the  total  surface  of  the  soil,  and  to  this 
circumstance,  probably,  is  due  the  superiority  of  its  horses. 
Here  the  rearing  takes  place  in  the  stable  and  the  brood- 
mare is  found  under  the  hand  of  the  breeder.  The  idea  of 
making  use  of  her  comes  naturally  to  his  mind.  He  works 
and  feeds  her  well.  All  the  secret  of  his  breeding  lies  in 
these  few  words. 

Here,  for  many  years,  agriculture  has  flourished ;  arti- 
ficial meadows  are  everywhere  cultivated  with  success, 


THE    PERCHERON   HORSE.  13 

and  are  necessary  to  produce  the  enormous  quantity  of 
fodder  consumed  by  the  number  of  horses  raised. 

Among  the  plants  for  green  and  dry  forage,  clover  first 
and  then  fenugreek  are  the  fivorites  of  the  Percheron 
farmer.  He  uses  phister  and  marl  with  care,  and  would 
tell  you,  should  the  opportunity  offer,  that  it  is  through 
system  and  superior  cultivation  that  Perche  has  been  able 
hitherto  to  meet  the  large  demands  made  upon  her  from 
the  commencement  of  the  present  century,  particularly  for 
the  last  fifty  years.  He  is,  moreover,  laborious  and  per- 
severing. Disregarding  the  industrial  arts,  the  glory  of 
other  districts,  his  true  vocation,  his  favorite  occupation,  is 
cultivating  the  ground  and  raising  horses,  which  he  has 
practised  with  zeal  from  the  most  remote  period.  In  fact 
cannot  this  be  inferred,  even  from  the  example  of  his  early 
lords  ?  The  Counts  of  Perche,  those  old  Rotrous,  triple 
knights,  had  they  not  adopted  as  an  emblem  of  their  nobility 
the  stamp  of  their  horses'  feet  ?  .  .  .  Not  content  with  a 
single  chevron,  they  placed  three  upon  their  standards,  to 
signify  both  the  superiority  of  their  horses,  and  their  in- 
finite number.  For  in  symbolical  language  (and  none  is 
more  so  than  that  of  heraldry,)  the  number  three  implies 
infinity ;  and  the  oval  form  of  the  eastern  courser's  foot,  to 
which  the  chevron  is  distinctly  traced,  was  used  in  early 
times  as  a  sign  of  chivalry,  replacing  the  ancient  ring  of 
Rome.  Hence  comes,  as  a  distinctive  mark  of  nobility,  the 
large  number  of  coats  of  arms  with  chevrons,  among  those 
of  the  knights.  The  simple  chevron  was  the  desig- 
nation of  the  noble,  and  the  particular  marks  which  often 
accompanied  the  chevron  served  to  recall  some  exploit, 
some  distinguished  feat  of  arms,  the  nature  of  the  tastes, 
or  the  possessions  of  the  warrior  who  bore  this  blazon. 

Perche  is  very  much  cut  up :  the  farms  generally  small ; 
the  fields,  likewise  small  and  mostly  enclosed  by  hedges. 
The  temper  of  the  Percheron  breeder  is  uivariably  mild. 
He  knows  all  the  importance  of  attention  to  the  race  which 


14  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

he  rears,  and  nevertheless,  it  must  be  confessed,  that  with 
the  exception  of  the  mildness  with  which  he  treats  it,  he 
has  done  next  to  nothing  to  ameliorate  it  or  preserve  it  in 
its  beauty.     Nature,  time,  and  the  climate,  have  done  all. 

Perche  has  a  climate  eminently  favorable  to  horse- 
breeding.  Under  its  influence,  the  water  is  tonic  and  the 
food  nutritious,  the  air  is  pure,  bracing,  and  drier  than 
that  of  Normandy.  The  sea  is  farther  off,  and  its  in- 
fluence, in  consequence,  is  less  felt. 

However,  these  can  be  but  general  attributes,  for  the 
country  varies  in  aspect  according  to  the  district.  Tlie 
portion  near  Normandy,  which  is  watered  by  the  Sarthe,  is 
much  the  same  as  that  province.  The  grasses  are,  however, 
sparser,  and  especially  do  not  have  that  extreme  sweet- 
ness and  great  tonic  quality  which  distinguish  those  of  the 
environs  of  Courtomer  and  Merlerault,  si^tuated  only  a  few 
leagues  from  the  limits  of  Perche. 

On  the  side  of  Beauce,  there  are  vast  plains  sometimes 
undulating,  and  having  much  similarity  to  that  province. 

On  the  Maine  side,  the  country  gradually  assumes  the 
characteristics  of  aspect  and  cultivation  peculiar  to  it,  so 
that  the  transition  between  these  two  provinces  is  not  an 
abrupt  change,  but  they  blend  like  the  tones  of  a  picture. 
Upon  some  points  woods,  ponds  in  the  north-east,  forage 
and  grain  upon  the  remainder,  are  the  chief  features,  and 
are  the  sources  of  the  revenues  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER    n. 

SKETCH  OF  THE  PERCHERON  RACE. 

The  height  of  the  Percheron  horse  is  generally  14^  1^  to  16 
hands ;  he  is  of  a  sanguine  temperament,  mixed  in  variable 
proportions  with  the  musculo-lymphatic ;  his  color  is  al- 


THE    PEBCHERON   HORSE.  15 

most  always  gray,  and  is,  among  the  characteristic  features, 
that  which  first  strikes  the  eye. 

According  to  their  predominence,  these  temperaments 
constitute  varieties  which  may  be  thus  classed: 

1st. — The  light  Percheron,  in  which  the  sanguine  tem- 
perament predominates ; 

2nd. — The  draft  Percheron,  in  which  the  lymphatic 
temperament  is  the  most  fully  developed  ; 

ord. — The  type  intermediary  between  these  two,  par- 
taking of  the  one  by  its  lightness,  and  of  the  other  by  its 
muscular  force. 

The  latter  is  the  most  numerous,  but  it  has  much  de- 
generated of  late  years ;  and  there  is  a  tendency  to  its 
disappearance  since  the  post-coach  service,  which  formed 
it,  has  gradually  given  way  to  other  means  of  conveyance. 
It  has  style,  although  the  head  is  rather  large  and  long ; 
nostrils  w^ell  open  and  well  dilated ;  eye  large  and  ex- 
pressive; forehead  broad;  ear  fine;  neck  rather  short, 
but  well  filled  out;  whithers  high;  shoulder  pretty  long 
and  sloping;  breast  rather  flat,  but  high  and  deep;  a 
well-rounded  body ;  back  rather  long ;  the  croup  hori- 
zontal and  muscular ;  tail  attached  high  ;  short  and  strong 
joints,  and  the  tendon  generally  weak;  a  foot  always 
excellent,  although  rather  flat  in  the  low  countries  and 
natural  meadows ;  a  gray  coat ;  fine  skin  ;  silky  and  abun- 
dant mane.  Such .  are  the  most  general  characteristics 
of  the  old  Percheron  race.  These  are  the  points  which 
are  still  noticed  upon  what  remain  of  some  old  horses, 
preserved  from  the  transformation  which  commenced  long 
ago ;  for  at  the  present  moment  everything  is  much 
changed.  Since  the  time  of  the  foreign  crossings,  the  foot 
has  become  flatter,  the  head  overcharge^!,  the  tendon  still 
weaker,  the  back  longer,  the  shoulder  has  lost  its  direction, 
and  the  croup  has  become  shorter.  The  race  has  changed 
suddenly  to  fill  new  wants  which  have  unexpectedly 
sprung  up. 


16  THE    PEECHEEON   HOESE. 

Of  course  these  different  characters  are  modified  by  the 
varieties  upon  which  they  are  uoticed,  but  the  "  ensemble  " 
presents  a  strikhig  similarity. 

The  hght  Percheron,  suited  to  harness,  is  found  par- 
ticularly in  the  Norman  portion,  in  the  district  of  Mor- 
tagne,  near  Courtomer,  Moulin s-la-Marche,  Aigle,  Mesle- 
sur-Sarthe,  and  especially  in  the  parishes  of  Mesniere,  Bures, 
and  Champeaux-sur-Sartbe.  This  is  easily  accounted  for,  as 
here  is  the  best  blood  of  France,  near  the  region  where 
has  been  found  the  best  Norman  type.  Here  the  soil, 
temperature,  and  pasturage,  are  pretty  near  the  same. 

In  going  from  Nogent-le-Rotrou  to  Montdoubleau,  and 
following   the  limits  of  Perche-Manceau,  by  Saint-Calais,' 
Vilvaye,  Ferte-Bernard,    Saint-Corme    and    Mamers,    we 
travel  over  the  birth-place  of  the  heavy  draft-horse.    Here 
we  meet  with  the  heavy  brood-mares. 

In  the  center  of  Perche,  at  Mauves,  Regmalard,  Lougny, 
Corbon,  Courgeon,  Reveillon,  Villiers,  and  Saint-Langis, 
nothing  is  bred ;  the  farmer  brings  up  the  horse  colts  of 
Eperrais,  Pin-la-Garenne,  Coulimer,  Saint-Quentin,  Bure, 
Pervercheres  and  the  breeding  parishes  of  the  district  of 
Mortagne,  Nogent-le-Rotrou,  Montdoubleau  and  Courtalin. 

Horses  of  different  sexes  and  ages  are  never  mingled  in 
Perche;  they  are  there  separated  with  care.  But  it  is  not 
exactly  the  same  in  respect  to  kinds. 

The  post-coach  and  the  heavy-draft  horse  are  there  to 
be  met  with  upon  the  same  ground.  The  post-coach  horse 
is,  to  be  sure,  bred  a  little  everywhere ;  his  temperament 
and  the  conditions  in  which  he  is  placed,  prepare  him 
for  this  specialty. 

It  is,  as  we  see,  at  the  two  extremities  of  the  ellipse 
(especially  where  the  pasture  grounds  are),  that  the  mares 
are  found.  In  the  center,  at  Mauves,  Regmalard,  Lougny, 
etc.,  etc.,  the  inliabitants  turn  their  attention  to  bringing, 
up  the  colts. 


THE    PERCHEROK  HORSE.  17 

CHAPTER    III. 

ORIGIN    OF    THE    PERCHERON. 

What,  now,  is  the  origin  of  the  Percheron  ?  Some  at- 
tribute to  hiin  an  Arabian  ancestry ;  others,  less  explicit 
and  without  positively  assigning  to  him  so  noble  an  origin, 
hold  him  to  be  strongly  impregnated  with  Arabian  blood. 
M.  Eugene  Perrault,  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  skillful 
dealers  in  fancy  horses  in  all  Europe,  has  frequently  re- 
marked to  me  that  of  all  the  various  races  of  horses  none 
were  so  interesting  to  him  as  the  admirable  Percheron, 
and  that,  judging  from  his  appearance  and  qualities,  he 
was  satisfied  he  was  a  genuine  Arab,  modified  in  f  )rm  by 
the  climate  and  the  rude  services  to  which  he  had  for 
ages  been  subjected. 

We  cannot,  however,  find  in  history  the  written  positive 
proof  that  the  Percheron  is  an  Arab,  but  we  believe  it  easy, 
by  fair  liistorical  deduction,  to  prove  what  he  is  in  fact. 

It  is  well  known  that  after  the  defeat  of  the  famous 
Saracen  chief  Abderanie  by  Charles  Martel,  on  the  plains 
of  Vouille,  the  magnificent  cavalry  of  the  foe  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  victors,  since  more  than  300,000  infidels  were 
killed  on  that  day,  and  the  horses  which  they  rode  were, 
like  themselves,  from  the  East.  Upon  a  division  of  the 
spoil  a  large  number  of  these  were  assigned  to  the  men 
of  La  Perche,  of  Orleanais,  and  Normandy,  who  com- 
posed the  bulk  of  the  Freqch  forces,  and  they  must 
necessarily  have  left  in  their  progeny  indelible  traces  of 
their  blood. 

La  Perche,  like  all  Christian  countries,  furnished,  as  is 
well  known,  her  contingent  of  fighting  men  to  the  cru- 
sades, and  the  chronicles  cite  several  Counts  of  Bellesmer, 
Mortagne,  and  Kogent,  barons  and  gentlemen  of  that 
province,  who,  with  many  of  their  vassals,  made  pilgrim- 
ages to  the  Holy  Land. 


18  THE    PERCHEEON   HORSE, 

The  Abbe  Faet,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Congresg 
of  Mortagne,  July  16,  1843,  and  in  bis  great  work  upon 
La  Perche,  cites  in  this  connection  a  lord  of  Montdou- 
bleau,  Geffroy  IV.,  and  Rotrou,  Count  of  La  Perche,  as 
having  brought  back  fi'om  Palestine  several  stallions, 
which  were  put  to  mares,  and  the  progeny  most  carefully 
preserved.  The  small  number  of  the  sires,  their  incom- 
parable beauty,  and  manifest  superiority,  must  have  led  to 
the  in-and-in  breeding  so  much  deprecated  by  most 
breeders ;  but  the  qualities  of  the  sires  became  indelibly 
fixed  upon  their  progeny. 

The  lord  of  Montdoubleau  was,  it  is  said,  the  most 
zealous  of  the  advocates  and  breeders  of  the  new  blood, 
and,  being  the  most  zealous,  was  the  most  successful ;  hence 
it  is  that  the  Montdoubleau  stock  is  to  this  day  the  best  in 
Perche.  The  Count  Roger,  of  Bellesmer,  imported  both 
Arabian  and  Spanish  horses,  as  did  Goroze,  the  lord  of 
Saint  Cerney,  Courville,  and  Courseroult ;  these  are  histor- 
ical facts  which  have  their  importance.  Like  chronicles, 
it  is  true,  exist  for  other  provinces — for  Limousin,  for  Na- 
varre, for  Auvergne  (the  land  of  noble  horses),  also  for 
Brittany  and  Maine ;  but  in  the  latter  not  the  least  sign  of 
Eastern  blood  is  perceptible.  The  fact  is,  the  crusaders 
from  all  the  French  provinces  naturally  brought  back  with 
them  more  or  less  of  the  Eastern  blood,  which  they  had 
learned  to  appreciate  on  the  plains  of  Palestine — but  the 
truth  is,  it  has  not  been  preserved  elsewhere ;  and  that  we 
in  La  Perche,  after  so  many  centuries,  should  be  so  for- 
tunate as  to  be  able  to  show  the  traces  of  it,  should  stimu- 
late us  to  its  careful  preservation. 

From  the  time  of  the  Roman  domination,  the  horse 
in  his  oriental  forms  was  Rot  only  valued  by  the  Gauls, 
but  was  particularly  prized  in  Perche.  In  1861  a  subter- 
ranean vault  was  discovered  in  the  middle  of  a  field,  near 
Jargeau  (Loiret),  upon  the  borders  of  Perche.  It  contain- 
ed a  statue  of  Bacchus,  surrounded  by  bacchanals,  with 


THE    PEKCHEEOX   HORSE.  19 

whicli  ^vere  found  a  horse,  a  stag,  a  boar,  some  fish,  a  grape 
vine,  and  other  native  products  of  tlie  country  ;  but  the 
horse  was  indubitably  of  the  Arab  form,  which  goes  to 
prove,  either  that  at  that  remote  period  there  were 
Arabians  in  the  country,  or  that  the  native  local  race  from 
which  the  portrait  was  taken  resembled  the  Arabian. 

These  historical  data,  these  inductions,  incomplete  as 
they  may  be,  lead  to  the  belief  that  for  antiquity  the 
Percheron  yields  to  no  other  of  our  French  races,  and  that 
the  soil  which  has  nourished  and  preserved  it,  must  be 
one  of  the  best  in  France  for  horse  breeding. 

Under  the  feudal  rule  and  inhabited  by  tenants  ever  at 
war,  Perche  must  always  have  been  an  equestrian  country, 
and  the  horse  must  have  been  there  in  every  age  the 
companion  of  man.  He  must  have  been  really  a  first 
class  necessity.  In  those  times  of  continued  war  and 
hostile  surprises,  what  property  was  more  movable  and  so 
easily  taken  to  a  place  of  safety  ?  How  glorious  the  pos- 
session of  such  noble  coursers,  and  like  the  Rotrous,  to 
own  more  than  could  be  counted,  as  was  proudly  shown 
by  the  heraldic  chevrons  upon  their  broad  banners,  dis- 
played from  the  towers  of  Mortagne  and  Xogent ! 

But  had  the  Percheron  then,  as  a  race,  the  character- 
istics it  now  possesses  ?  This  is  not  probable ;  it  must  have 
been  lighter,  but  still  possessing  within  itself  the  charac- 
ter which  it  now  presents.  The  essential  point  is  to  prove 
that  there  was,  at  that  period,  a  native  race ;  and  if  the  ex- 
traordinary life  formerly  led  there — if  the  aspect  of  the 
country,  which  must  have  been  always  fertile — if  the 
historical  inductions  do  not  prove  it — the  universal  tradi- 
tion of  the  whole  country  should  not  leave  us  in  any 
doubt  in  respect  to  the  fact. 

Let  us,  then,  take  no  account  of  the  silence  of  historians. 
This  silence  is  no  proof  of  the  non-existence  of  the  Per- 
cheron.    Most   of  these  writers  were  gentlemen  of  the 


20  THE    PERCHEEON   HOESE. 

equestrian  order ;  they  prized  the  saddle-horse,  while  they 
ignored  the  equally  useful  breeds  of  all  work. 


CHAPTER    lY. 

MODIFICATIONS    OF    THE    PERCHERON    RACE. 

The  Perch eron  race  comes  from  the  Arab ;  but  it  is  use- 
ful to  know  the  causes  which  have  separated  it  from  the 
primitive  type.  How  lias  it  been  modified  ?  How  has  it 
lost  the  Arabian  character,  in  which  it  must  have  been  at 
first  clothed  ?  A  large  number  of  the  French  races  have 
been  even  more  profoundly  modified,  and  have  become 
abject,  miserable,  puny,  and  misshapen.  All  equine  races 
have  been  changed  by  the  eflfects  of  climate,  by  the  ex- 
tinction of  the  feudal  system,  and  by  the  inauguration  of 
peaceful  habits  which  have  made  an  agricultural  and 
draft-horse  of  the  horse  primitively  used  for  the  saddle 
and  for  war.  The  Percherons  must  have  been  especially 
modified  by  contact  with  the  breed  of  Brittany,  where 
their  striking  characteristics  are  now  met  with  in  a  large 
number  of  individuals. 

However,  it  has  been  vigorously  attempted  to  offset  the 
intrusion  of  the  heavy  horse  by  the  continued  use  of  the 
Arabinn  horse.  Indeed,  we  see,  towards  1760,  under  the 
administration  of  the  Marquis  of  Brigges,  manager  of  the 
stud-stables  of  Pin,  all  the  large  number  of  fine  Arabian, 
Barb,  and  eastern  stallions,  that  this  establishment  owned, 
were  put  at  the  disposition  of  the  Count  of  Mallart  for 
use  at  his  mare-stables  of  Coesme,  near  Bellesme.  The 
arrival  of  the  Danish  and  English  stallions  at  the  stud- 
stables  of  Pin  put  an  unfortunate  end  to  the  influence 
of  the  Arab  horse  in  Perche,  and  it  will  now  be  many  a 


THE    PERCHEROI^   HOKSE.  21 

long  year  before  the  eastern  blood  will  be  seen  as  before. 
It  is  only  towards  1820,  still  at  the  same  chateau  of 
Coesme,  Avith  the  grandsons  of  those  old  admirers  of  the 
Aiabians,  that  we  find  again  two  Arab  horses  from  the 
stud-stablcs  of  Pin,  Godolphln  and  GalUpoU.  These  two 
valuable  stock-getters,  both  gray,  again  gave  tone  and  ar- 
dor to  the  Percheron  race,  and  transformed  definitely  in- 
to gray  horses  the  stock  of  the  entire  country,  which  had, 
it  was  said,  become  less  uniform,  and  of  all  colors. 

The  Brittany  horses  have  been  strongly  attracted  to- 
wards Perche  by  the  immense  outlet  offered  by  the  public 
service,  since  the  increase  of  the  roads,  to  the  Percherons. 
Mixtures  between  the  two  races  must  have  been  frequent. 
And  when  a  good  Brittany  horse  was  there  met  with,  he 
must  have  been  made  use  of,  and  the  old  native  type  has 
gradually  tended  to  disappear,  and  its  traces  become  more 
and  more  rare.  This  mixture  of  Percheron  and  Brittany 
blood,  too  well  marked  to  be  questioned,  arises  from  several 
causes,  Avhich  we  will  take  up  successively  in  review. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  FIRST  MODIFICATION,   DUE  TO    CONTACT   WITH  THE 
BRITTANY    RACE. 

Perche  is  bounded,  in  its  whole  length,  by  the  immense 
plains  of  Beauce.  On  account  of  this  position,  it  was  al- 
ways traversed  by  the  post-coaches  for  Paris,  and  by 
all  the  supplies  that  came  from  the  West. 

Being  the  intermediate  point  between  the  principal 
home  of  the  Brittany  draft-horse  and  the  immense  markets 
which  Beauce  and  Paris  offered,  its  territory  was  the 
necessary  stopping-place  of  everything   that  came  from 


22  THE   PERCHEKON   HORSE. 

the  West.  It  has  been  for  many  years  the  rendezvous  of 
the  draft  races  of  the  whole  West. 

Now,  see  in  what  an  exceptional  position  this  country 
is  placed.  First  and  foremost,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  there  exists  no  French  race  which  could  have  multi- 
plied and  preserved  its  original  type  under  such  unhappy 
influences.  We  can  but  deplore  the  slight  care  taken  in 
preserving  it  pure  and  intact,  and  the  want  of  judgment 
in  the  delicate  operation  of  crossing. 

There  has  been  no  uniform  and  logical  plan  for  improv- 
ing as  well  as  increasing  it.  To  make  the  greatest  possible 
profit  out  of  this  hen  with  the  golden  eggs  has  been  the 
only  aim. 

When  the  post-coaches,  wagon  transj^ortation,  and  the 
public  conveyances  were  organized  and  generalized ;  when 
every  thing  requiring  the  use  of  the  horse  had  undergone 
excessive  development ;  when  the  improvements  of  our 
roads,  the  multiplicity  of  business  transactions,  and  the 
enormous  internal  traffic,  required  increased  and  rapid 
locomotion,  all  eyes  were  turned  towards  Perche,  and  it 
became  necessary  for  her  to  satisfy  the  increased  demand. 

Let  us  see  in  what  condition  was  the  Percheron  breeder 
to  satisfy  all  these  demands.  As  for  race,  he  possessed  the 
best.  Strong,  yet  quick,  it  was  that,  of  all  others,  which 
contained  the  most  blood.  It  owed  this  to  the  soil  and 
climate.  It  was  the  best  to  feed,  the  easiest  to  raise,  and 
the  most  favorably  situated  to  be  cheaply  multiplied.  And 
with  all  this,  it  had  at  its  door  the  best  of  known  markets. 

Wagons,  diligences,  and  post-coaches,  required  horses 
such  as  the  Percheron  cultivator  loved  to  breed  for  himself 
Hence  that  sympathetic  understanding  which  developed 
itself  more  and  more  between  the  Percheron  producer 
and  the  consumer  occupied  in  public  transportation.  And 
the  anxiety  to  meet  the  demand  was  one  of  the  most  active 
causes  of  degeneration  and  of  the  drafts  made  upon  this 
and  the  neighboring  breeds. 


THE    PEBCHERON   HOKSE.  23 

CHAPTER    YL 

CONDITIONS    UNDER    WHICH    THEY    ARE    BRED. 

We  know  how  the  sexes  are  divided  in  Perche ;  one 
section  of  the  province  produces,  while  another  raises 
what  the  other  has  produced.  No  matter  what  may  be 
the  class  to  which  she  belongs,  light  or  heavy,  or  partak- 
ing of  both,  the  mare  is  expected  to  breed  every  year.  If 
barren,  she  is  sold,  and  this  fault  continuing,  she  passes 
into  public  use.  During  her  gestation  she  works  constant- 
ly. A  few  days  of  rest,  before  and  after  foaling,  is  the 
only  time  lost.  The  remainder  of  the  time  her  work  pays 
abundantly  for  her  keep  and  the  interest  on  her  cost. 

At  the  age  of  five  or  six  months,  the  colt  is  abruptly 
weaned  and  sold.  Its  price  varies  from  five  to  six  hundred 
francs — sometimes  more,  but  this  is  the  exception — and  so 
far  it  has  cost  nothing. 

Led  into  the  interior  upon  the  fertile  meadows  of 
Mauves,  Pin,  Regmalard,  Corbon,  Lougny,  Reveillon, 
Courgeron,  Saint-Langis,  Villiers,  Courgeoust,  etc.,  etc.,  it 
remains  one  year  unproductive.  In  winter  it  is  fed  upon 
hay,  in  the  stable,  and  during  the  fine  season  turned  into 
the  fields  to  graze.  To  sum  up,  it  is  rather  poorly  nour- 
ished on  bran,  grass,  and  hay. 

The  reason  is,  it  is  as  yet  unproductive  to  its  master,  and 
it  feels  the  efiects.  Wait  a  little  ;  its  hardest  time  has  gone 
by,  and  work  will  soon  soften  its  lot.  It  reaches,  in  this  man- 
ner, the  age  of  15  or  18  months.  What  has  it  cost  for  keep- 
ing ?  Very  little.  Estimate,  about  80  or  100  francs.  At  this 
age  it  is  put  to  work.  Naturally  docile  and  in  the  hands 
of  a  man  always  patient  and  mild,  its  training  is  generally 
easy.  Assigned  to  farm  labor,  it  plows  or  draws  a  wagon. 
Harnessed  mth  four  or  five  colts  of  its  own  age,  together 
they  pull  what  would  be  an  easy  load  for  two  good  horses. 


24  THE    PEECHERON   HOESE. 

Put  before  two  oxen,  or  joined  to  three  of  its  companions, 
it  plows  and  is  never  overworked. 

Now,  it  is  better  fed,  and  taken  a  great  deal  better  care 
of.  Its  "  morale^''  improves,  and  its  master  seems  to  delight 
in  contemplating  the  progress  and  the  development  of  its 
qualities.  Thus,  in  traveling  through  Perche,  one  involun- 
tarily stops  in  the  midst  of  the  fields  to  see  it  work, 
never  tired  of  admiring  the  vigor  it  displays,  and  the 
gentleness  with  which  it  is  treated. 

The  bait  is  there.  At  the  age  of  three  the  Beauce  farmer 
buys  it  to  work  his  soft  and  light  soil.  For  him,  it  must 
be  preserved  intact,  its  development  uninjured,  nay  en- 
couraged. 

Master,  servants,  large  and  small,  all  deeply  imbued 
with  the  love  of  the  horse,  unite  in  this  work  with  ad- 
mirable skill. 

It  has  thus  worked  during  one  year,  abundantly  fed, 
but  receiving  little  or  no  grain.  Doing  enough  light 
work  to  pay  for  its  keep,  the  master  has  received,  besides 
its  manure,  a  heavy  interest  on  the  cost,  as  we  will  pres- 
ently see. 

This  premature  work,  which  would  have  been  injurious 
under  a  careless  management,  is,  on  the  contrary,  beneficial 
when  it  is  in  the  hands  of  a  good  master.  This  is  so  much 
the  general  case,  that  the  contrary  is  the  exception.  The 
animal  grows  and  becomes  better  developed  in  size  and 
strength. 

Now,  as  we  before  observed,  the  Beauce  farmer  comes 
to  buy.  He  lives  in  a  country  of  proverbial  richness. 
The  work  there  is  abundant,  but  the  nature  of  the  soil  ren- 
ders it  extremely  easy.  The  fields,  very  much  divided, 
and  distant  one  from  another,  make  a  rapid  gait  indis- 
pensable. 

In  Beauce,  the  horse  cannot  be  replaced  as  a  beast  of 
burden ;  no  matter  how  dear  his  keeping,  his  use  is  indis- 
pensable;  the  ox  cannot  be  his  competitor.     But  it  is  a 


THE    PERCHEEON   HORSE.  25 

fact  of  the  greatest  importance  to  state,  that  it  is  to  the 
ox  that  the  Percheron  horse  owes  a  part  of  his  celebrity. 

As  is  well  known,  Beauce  is  the  exceptional  country  for 
cereals ;  the  horse  and  slieep  are  pretty  much  the  only 
animals  which  there  produce  a  manure  required  by  such 
husbandry.  Add  to  this  the  breadth  of  land  under  tillage, 
and  the  extreme  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  the  large  number 
of  horses  kept  by  the  Beauce  farmer  will  be  accounted  for. 

At  three  years  old,  the  Percheron  dealer  sells  his  horse 
for  900  or  1,000  francs,  and  sometimes  more,  according  to 
his  merit.  But  he  does  this  only  in  order  to  buy  other 
colts;  and  the  profit  has  been,  in  fact,  sufficiently  large  to 
warrant  him  in  this.  He  has  had  against  him  only  the 
chances  of  mortality.  These  are  small ;  the  race  is  tough 
and  hardy.  Accidents  are  more  to  be  dreaded,  and  these 
sometimes  occur.  Living  in  the  open  air,  in  the  comjiany 
of  other  animals,  the  young  colt  is  a  little  exposed  to  the 
influences  of  chance.  But  the  fields  are  enclosed,  the 
master's  eye  is  upon  it,  and,  to  sum  up  all,  the  large  profit 
covers  every  thing. 

Keaching  Beauce  at  three  years  old,  he  is  subjected  to 
hard  work.  The  work  is  easy  enough,  but  there  is 
much  of  it.  He  must  be  quick,  the  breadth  of  land  is 
very  extensive,  and  the  work  must  be  done.  Sowing  and 
harvesting — these  two  words  sum  up  the  Beauceron  agri- 
culture. Otlierwise  expressed — plowing  and  hauling.  As 
regards  the  horse,  all  must  be  done  promptly  and  quickly. 

But  if  he  be  hard  worked,  on  the  other  hand,  nothing  is 
denied  him.  He  eats  as  much  grain  and  hay  as  he  pleases. 
What  difference  does  this  make  to  the  farmer  ?  Do  not 
his  labor  and  his  manure  pay  for  his  nourishment  ?  And, 
moreover,  how  act  otherwise  ?  As  we  have  seen,  nothing 
can  supply  his  place.     Necessity  has  no  law. 

He  lives  in  this  way  a  year,  with  abundant  food.  Some- 
times he  succumbs ;  the  mortality  is  quite  large  in  this 
region.  But  the  stock  which  remains  after  such  a  training 
2 


26  THE    PEECHEEON   HORSE. 

offers  many  guaranties  to  the  the  dealer  who  bnys  it 
to  transfer,  if  they  suit,  to  the  express  and  omnihus  com- 
panies ;  or  if  they  belong  to  the  draft  race,  to  the  con- 
tractors, wagoners,  and  builders,  of  Paris.  At  five,  he  is 
bought  by  the  horse-dealer  at  the  annual  horse  fair  on  St. 
Andrew's  Day  in  the  town  of  Chartres.  There  he  is 
delivered,  the  farmer  leading  his  horse  upon  the  ground. 
The  prices  vary  from  1,000  to  1,400  francs.  The  profit  is 
small,  sometimes  nothing,  the  greatest  gain  being  his 
work,  w^hich  cannot  be  dispensed  with.  The  feeble  have 
perished  ;  the  survivors  owe  their  lives  only  to  their  robust 
constitutions. 

Before  dedication  to  his  final  use,  he  has  thus  passed 
through  four  hands ;  all  these  have  shared  the  risks  of 
his  rearing.  The  most  serious  have  been  for  the  last 
owner ;  but  he  was  also  the  wealthiest,  and  to  him  also 
has  he  been  the  most  useful. 

Thus,  we  see,  the  foal  costs  almost  nothing,  and  his  work 
pays  for  his  keep.  Perfectly  well  fed,  and  exercised  from 
his  tenderest  age,  the  Percheron  has  always  been  the  first 
draft-horse  in  the  world,  and  he  would  have  constantly 
improved,  if  his  admirable  qualities  themselves  had  not  led 
to  his  degeneration. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

CAUSES  OF  THE  DEGENERACY  OF  THE  PERCHERON  HORSE. 

The  breeding  of  the  Percheron  horse  has  been  so  much 
the  more  stimulated,  in  consequence  of  his  situation,  his 
well-known  qualities,  and  the  favorable  economical  cir- 
cumstances in  which  he  is  placed. 

Was  not  everything  in  his  favor  ?  Sure  and  increasing 
sales  and  great  facility  in  raising  ? 


THE   PEKCHEROX   HOUSE.  27 

In  a  word,  Perche  is  not  large ;  the  number  of  horses 
that  it  can  produce  is  limited,  and  not  being  able  to  answer 
all  the  demands  made  upon  it,  competition  stepped  in. 

At  first,  the  finest  types,  the  males  especially,  were  sold. 
Then,  little  by  little,  the  traffic  increasing,  the  finest  fe- 
males,  in  their  turn,  commenced  to  appear  upon  the  market. 

The  interior  of  France  and  foreign  countries,  Prussia 
especially,  were  anxious  to  possess  them,  the  latter  country, 
in  order  to  form  a  race  of  draft-horses,  which  it  absolutely 
needed,  in  consequence  its  own  becoming  too  light. 

It  is  the  only  race  which  has  been  accused  of  no  faults, 
— simply  because  it  has  satisfied  a  real  want  and  has  been 
able  to  satisfy  it  fully. 

The  sale  of  colts  becoming  greater  and  greater,  and  all 
the  farmers  being  interested  in  buying  them  to  raise,  Brit- 
tany sent  hers  upon  the  markets.  They  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  Perche  and  in  the  fairs  of  Mortagne,  Courtal- 
in,  etc.,  etc.,  taking  their  place  there  alongside  the  colts  of 
the  country. 

The  breeding-mares  being  sought  after,  and  in  conse- 
quence sold,  it  became  necessary  to  replace  them.  Their 
ofispring  sold  too  well  not  to  think  of  increasing  their 
number.  Hence  the  introduction,  at  first,  of  a  large 
number  of  Brittany  mares,  and  afterwards  of  mares  from 
Caux,  Picardy,  etc.,  etc.,  approaching  nearest,  both  as  to 
height  and  coat,  to  the  race  of  the  country. 

If  there  had  been  among  them  only  the  Brittany  mares, 
I  would  but  half  complain:  these  are  well  bred;  and 
moreover,  has  not  Perche  contributed  to  the  improvement 
of  the  Brittany  race  by  sending  into  their  country  such 
famous  stallions  as  Pomme^  Sijou^  and  Tancrede  f  But  the 
mares  from  Picardy,  from  Caux  and  from  Boulogne — the 
scrofulous  races  of  the  North !  What  can  be  said  for  them  ? 

This  introduction  is  not  of  yesterday ;  it  is  already  of 
long  date.  But  it  may  be  boldly  advanced  that  it  is  only 
since  1830  that  it  has  been  efiected  upon  a  very  large  scale. 


28  THE   PEECHER02T   HOESE. 

1830  was  the  era  of  the  systematic  infusion  of  the  Eng- 
lish pure-blood  into  our  French  half-blood  races.  Having 
become,  by  this  fact,  less  fit  for  service,  they  commenced 
to  lose  their  credit  in  the  eyes  of  thinking  men.  The  rich 
ran  after  the  English,  while  others  wanted  the  German 
horse,  and  this  made  the  latter's  fortune.  The  majority 
addressed  themselves  to  Perche,  and  thus  obliged  her  to 
multiply  anew  a  stocl^  already  become  insufficient. 

In  Upper  Perche,  that  is  to  say,  towards  the  Norman 
part,  in  the  district  of  Mortagne,  the  introduction,  (we 
are  ignorant  of  its  cause, — perhaps  from  the  presence  of 
some  good  stallions,)  was  not  so  great;  but  it  did,  never- 
theless, take  place,  and  its  traces  are  discovered  at  every 
step.  It  would  be  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
find  there  at  the  present  moment,  a  Percheron  completely 
free  from  mixture  of  foreign  blood. 


CHAPTER    Vni. 

STARTING    POINT    OF    THIS    DEGENERATION. 

As  long  as  the  post-coaches  were  flourishing  and  the 
diligences  crossing  France  in  every  direction,  it  was  espe- 
cially a  horse  fit  for  their  uses  that  Perche  devoted  itself 
to  produce.  But  since  these  modes  of  transportation  have 
been  modified,  the  race,  with  them,  has  undergone  a  com- 
plete transformation.  As  this  country  only  possessed,  as 
an  outlet  for  the  light  part  of  its  stock,  the  expresses, 
omnibuses,  and  post-office  services  in  the  interior  of  Paris, 
and  later  the  private  post  teams,  etc.,  etc.,  which  only  em- 
ploy quick-gait ed  horses,  it  became  necessary  to  thinli  of 
rendering  the  race  heavier,  in  order  to  replace  the  monop- 
oly of  the  mail  stages  and  diligences  by  another  monop- 


THE    PERCIIEROX   HOKSE.  29 

oly.  Had  it  not  before  it  the  necessity  of  satisfying  the 
commercial  wants — that  is  to  say,  the  express  cartage, 
the  heavy  work  of  the  contractors  and  builders  of  Paris, 
and  in  the  provinces,  tiie  services  of  the  large  towns,  and 
the  express  and  other  business  connected  with  all  rail- 
roads ?  The  fear  of  losing  this  important  market  offered 
to  his  qualities  of  speed,  strength,  and  honesty,  tempted 
the  breeder  to  infuse  too  suddenly  the  blood  of  the 
heavy  draft-horse.  He  might  have  accomplisbed  this 
more  slowly  and  gradually,  by  means  of  a  rational 
coupling  with  the  heaviest  bodied  native  types ;  but  our 
age,  eager  to  enjoy,  did  not  leave  him  the  time.  To  an- 
swer to  these  new  wants,  Perche  opened  wide  its  doors  to 
all  the  heavy  mares  that  it  could  meet  with.  Many  came 
from  Brittany,  others  from  Picardy  and  Caux,  and  some 
from  Boulogne.  During  this  time  the  ancient  stallion  of 
the  country,  eagerly  sought  after  by  all  those  who  wished 
to  create  fine  draft  studs,  passed  into  the  interior  and  even 
into  foreign  countries. 

The  success  of  the  Percheron  race  was  very  great. 
All  the  departments  wished  to  acclimate  it.  The  prices 
of  these  stallions  had  increased  so  raj)idly  in  a  few  years, 
that  they  had  tripled  and  qnadrupled.  Accordingly, 
the  possessors  sold  them.  The  administrative  author- 
ities, aided  by  the  elite  of  the  ^proprietors,  endeavored, 
however,  to  hinder  this  emigration.  They  formed  a  stud- 
stable  at  Bonneval ;  but  this  establishment  was  not  com- 
posed of  types  that  were  homogeneous  and  adapted  to  as- 
sure a  regular  and  continuous  improvement.  Prizes  were 
given  at  Mortagne,  Nogent-le-Rotrou,  Ilhers,  and  Ven- 
dome.  But  an  end  was  arrived  at  contrary  to  what  was 
desired.  The  prizes  served  as  signs  to  the  dealers.  Perche 
was  visited  to  buy  first-cla-!S  horses.  Vf  hat  surer  guaranty 
than  the  prize?  And  then,  how  could  the  breeders 
resist  the  prices  of  3,000  and  4,000  francs,  and  even  more, 
offered  the  proprietor  of  a  stallion  ? 


30  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

It  will  be  objected  that  these  stallions,  before  disappear- 
ing, had  already  served ;  I  know  this.  But  bow  served  ? 
They  had  served  at  two  or  three  years,  before  their  com- 
plete development,  and  it  was  at  the  age  at  which  they 
would  have  been  most  useful,  that  they  were  withdrawn 
from  their  district,  and  the  same  thing  was  true  with  the 
best  mares. 

Several  departments  carried  off  great  numbers;  they 
were  sent  everywhere.  A  great  many  proprietors  bought 
them.  Thus  disappeared,  gradually,  the  flower  of  the 
breeding-mares.  The  race  was  cut  off  in  its  prime.  Perche 
stretched  its  sails  to  the  winds  of  the  present  without 
thinking  of  the  future  ! 

Stallions  of  all  kinds  now  came  forward;  stallions  from 
Brittany,  Picardy,  Caux,  and  Boulogne.  The  heaviest  were 
preferred.  The  change  was  so  rapid,  that,  to-day,  in  many 
places,  there  does  not  remain  the  slightest  trace  of  genu- 
ine Percheron  blood.  It  is  a  mixture  which  betrays  it- 
self to  the  eye  by  coarse  forms,  foreign  to  the  original 
type,  and  in  the  m,orale  by  a  sensible'  loss  of  that  generous 
spirit,  and  of  that  indescribable  something  that  we  so 
much  admired.  Perche  would  formerly  have  disowned 
stock  lacking  the  eastern  character;  still,  their  presence 
is  not  without  instruction.  It  gives  tlie  measure  of  the 
great  climatic  qualities  of  this  province,  and  proves  what 
it  could  have  done  with  well-chosen  animals. 

Such  is  its  force  of  assimilation,  that  after  nourishing 
some  generations  upon  its  soil,  it  is  able  to  reform  them, 
and  impart  that  sacred  fire,  and  that  build,  which  can  only 
come  from  the  nourishment  of  its  hills. 

The  department  authorities,  unwearied  by  the  slight 
success  of  their  first  attempts,  renew  their  efforts,  from 
year  to  year,  to  oj)pose  the  progress  of  this  degeneration, 
and  endeavor  to  combat  it  by  the  strongest  measures. 

The  department  of  Eure  and  Loir,  undeterred  by  the 
costly  and  disastrous  failure  of  the  Bonne val  breeding 


THE    PEKCHEEON    IIOESE.  31 

stud,  continues  still  its  patriotic  work,  and  keeps  up  its  en- 
couragements, in  the  form  of  prizes  to  stallions  and  brood- 
mareS — encouragements  to  which  Orne  and  Loir,  and  Cher, 
appropriate  annually  considerable  sums. 

There  was  formed,  some  years  ago,  at  Chateaudun,  with 
the  most  disinterested  and  patriotic  design,  a  powerful  as- 
sociation of  proprietors,  known  under  the  name  of  "  The 
Horse  Association  of  Perche^^  having  for  its  mission  the 
furnishing  of  good  stallions  to  the  farmers. 

Trotting  matches  at  Illiers,  Courtalain,  Yendome,  Mont- 
doubleau,  and  Mortagne,  have  been  established;  but,  with 
all  this,  a  success  worthy  of  such  efforts  has  not  yet  been 
obtained,  on  account  of  a  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  move- 
ment. 

Competition  at  the  fairs  gives  but  too  often  the  specta- 
cle of  size  being  systematically  encouraged ;  while  trot- 
ting, in  consequence  of  the  speed  required,  leads  to  the 
emi)loyment  of  English  cross-breds.  Would  this  oper- 
ation were  well  diiected !  But  even  then,  would  this 
English  blood  be  used  in  right  proportions  ?  I  doubt  it. 
When  it  is  used,  it  is  used  too  much ;  for,  this  blood,  if  it 
be  not  employed  with  extreme  reserve,  an  extreme  parsi- 
mony, if  I  may  so  speak,  results  in  injuring  the  honest 
traits  and  the  valuable  quality  of  early  maturity ;  it 
destroys,  in  fact,  that  precocity  of  the  breed,  which  enables 
it  at  an  early  age  to  pay  for  its  feed  by  its  labor.  The 
breeders  ai-e  almost  invariably  small  farmers,  and  they 
cannot  afford  to  lose  the  time  necessary  to  mature  fancy 
horses ;  they  must  have  quick  sales  and  quick  returns. 


PART    II. 


OF  THE  MEAIVS  OF  REGENERATING  THE  PERCHE- 
ROIV  HORSE. 


Perche,  in  order  to  retain  its  best  customers,  and  not 
drop  to  a  level  with  the  common  herd  of  horse-breeders, 
must  at  once  have  recourse  to  systematic  means  of  im- 
provement. Her  breeders  have  shown  a  deplorable  alacrity 
in  the  downward  course,  which  has  brought  upon  them 
the  depreciation  in  the  value  of  their  stock,  of  which  they 
begin  to  perceive  the  effects. 

"  Facilis  descensus  Avcrno  ; 
Seel  revocare  g:radum, 
Hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est !" 

Unanimity  of  will  and  unity  of  means  are  both  neces- 
sary to  accomplish  the  ascent,  and  regain  the  position 
which  the  breed  has  lost.  Two  measures  present  them- 
selves as  each  essential  in  accomplishing  tliis  result.  Tlie 
first  step  is  to  restore  the  disturbed  equilibrium  by  a  well- 
planned  and  uninterrupted  series  of  crosses,  effected  with- 
in the  breed.  This  would  arrest  the  evil.  The  second 
step  should  be,  subsequently,  to  breed  up  by  improving 
crosses,  practised  with  a  wise  and  circumspect  delibera- 
tion.    This  would  be  making  progress. 

At  the  very  outset,  and  continued  paraUel  with  this 
course  of  breeding,  a  Stud-hook  should  be  instituted,  in 
order  that  all  thus  subjected  to  systematic  improvement 
should  be  brought  together,  and  thus  initiate  a  general 
improvement  of  the  breed.  The  development  of  these 
ideas  will  furnish  matter  for  the  following  chapters. 
32 


THE    PERCHEEON    HOKSE.  33 

CHAPTER    I. 

REGENERATION    OF    THE    PERCHERON    BREED. 

There  are  two  ways  of  crossing  applicable  to  any  breed, 
both  of  which  have  had  their  earnest  partisans.  So  much 
clnmor  has  been  made  about  them,  I  think,  only  because 
they  have  been  simultaneously  used  and  often  mingled,  and 
the  results  have  been  deranged  by  their  use.  This  miglit 
have  been  avoided  by  commencing  with  the  simplest  and 
continuing  with  the  best. 

The  first  may  be  called  the  renewal  of  a  breed  within 
itself,  or  interbreeding;  the  second,  improving  by  foreign 
blood.  We  will  pass  them  rapidly  in  review,  trying  to 
reach  in  the  results  the  solid  basis  of  truth. 


CHAPTER    II. 

REGENERATION    OF    THE    BREED    THROUGH     ITSELF,    OR 
BY    SELECTION. 

The  first  manner,  also  called  selection,  consists  in  mak- 
ing, among  the  race  itself,  a  rational,  judicious  choice  of 
the  most  perfect  types ;  those  which  are  as  free  as  possible 
from  the  most  prominent  defects  of  the  breed ;  those 
which  best  recall  the  primitive  type,  if  it  possess  the 
superior  qualities  which  it  is  required  to  reproduce  ;  those 
which,  healthy  and  vigorous,  seem  to  have  among  them- 
selves the  most  affinity.  This  choice  ought  to  be  severe 
and  rigorous,  nor  should  we  be  discouraged  by  the  small 
number  of  the  elect. 
2* 


34  THE    PEECHERON   HORSE. 

From  the  issue  of  this  first  selection,  make  a  similar 
choice,  and  with  them  and  their  progeny  mai'ch  persevering- 
ly  in  the  same  way,  without  ever  looking  to  the  right  or  to 
the  left — that  is  to  say,  without  ever  listening  to  advice 
which  would  modify  the  work  commenced,  or  to  praises 
which  might  induce  the  desire  for  too  rapid  results.  To 
proceed  too  fast  is  perhaps  a  still  greater  error  than  to 
stop  on  the  way,  inasmuch  as  it  often  renders  a  retro- 
grade movement  obligatory  and  reduces  to  nothing  the 
results  of  several  years  of  success. 

It  is  indispensable  that  the  selections  from  which  a 
good  progeny  is  desired  should  be  completely  grown — that 
is  to  say,  the  horses  should  be  at  least  four  years  past, 
and  the  mares  fully  three  years  old. 

Sell,  without  remorse,  to  the  trade  the  least  successful 
types,  and  most  carefully  keep  the  good.  The  horses,  after 
serving  some  campaigns  in  their  adult  age,  can  be  sold 
without  inconvenience ;  a  few  well-proved  types  are  suf- 
ficient for  a  district.  But  never  part  with  the  mares  when 
they  are  remarkable  for  their  conformation,  temper, 
aptitude  to  work,  and  for  their  qualities  as  breeders. 

Thus,  in  order  to  keep  the  breeders  clear  of  tempta- 
tions which  are  always  dangerous,  and  as  a  good  means  of 
guidance,  prizes  become  a  question  of  life  or  death  for  the 
future  of  the  race.  It  is,  in  fact,  by  means  of  prizes  and 
rewards,  liberally  distributed  for  the  class  of  mares  of 
three  to  ten  years  inclusively,  that  they  can  be  kept  in  the 
region.  It  is  by  awarding  the  prize  at  three  years,  after 
they  have  been  covered,  in  paying  at  first  but  one-half 
of  the  prize  and  the  remainder  only  after  they  have  foaled 
and  have  been  again  covered,  that  they  can  be  virtually 
controlled.  After  ten  years,  as  they  no  longer  meet  with 
either  a  good  or  profitable  sale,  special  encouiagement 
may  cease.  Moreover,  the  breeder  who  during  eight  years 
has  received  in  prizes  a  sum  often  superior  to  the  money 
value  of  his  mare,  and  recognizing  that  he  possesses  in  her 


THE   TEKCIIEKOX   HOESE.  35 

a  brood-mare  of  merit,  will  no  longer  commit  the  folly  of 
parting  with  her  for  a  price  which  would  be  ridiculous. 

There  is  such  extreme  delicacy  in  the  manner  of  distribut- 
ing these  prizes,  that  I  scarcely  dare  refer  to  it. 

The  members  of  the  council-board,  who  have  the  ap- 
propriation for  the  prizes,  should  have  naturally  and  right- 
fully the  honor  of  awarding  them.  I  would  then  wish, 
that  in  each  district  (what  I  am  about  to  say  excludes  the 
public  fiiirs,  in  which  a  jury,  numerous,  and  consequently 
never  unanimous  in  opinion,  opposes  the  execution  of  a 
uniform  idea),  the  council-board  and  the  council  of  the 
district,  charged  at  the  same  time  with  the  establishment 
of  the  Stud-hook^  of  which  I  will  speak  in  a  separate 
chapter,  should  be  willing  to  accept  this  mission,  which  they 
would,  i^erform  with  the  aid  of  the  inspector-general  of 
the  Stud-stables.  Each  year,  by  their  care,  the  mares  of 
a  district  would  be  scrupulously  examined,  and.  classed,  for 
the  prize. 

These  premiums  should  be  granted  for  eight  years,  to 
the  best  three-year-old  fillies,  to  which  this  distinction 
w^ould  give  the  entrance  upon  the  Stud-booJc.  In  the  first 
year  of  the  establishment  of  this  book,  destined  to  contain 
the  genealogical  documents  relative  to  the  celebrities  of 
the  race,  the  mares  above  three  years,  which  have  been 
found  worthy  to  be  inscribed,  should  be  likewise  given 
prizes,  and  this  same  should  be  allowed  them  as  a  pension 
up  to  the  age  of  ten  years. 

These  inducements  should  be  annual,  and  kept  up  as 
long  as  the  prize-mare  is  kept  as  a  breeder  and  in  proper 
condition,  that  is  to  say,  sound  of  wind,  and  exempt  from 
the  glanders.  Other  blemishes,  the  natural  consequence 
of  work  and  age,  might  be  tolerated. 

Following  the  same  system  and  conditions,  similar 
prizes  should  be  awarded  to  stallions,  without  paying 
attention  to  rewards  which  they  may  have  received  from 
other  quarters.     But  as  the  resources  of  which  a  depart- 


36  THE    PEECHERON    IIOKSE. 

ment  disposes,  augmented  even  by  private  contributions, 
are  not  inexhaustible,  it  is  urgent  that  the  prizes,  always 
liberal  and  remunerative,  being  from  two  to  four  hundred 
francs  for  mares,  and  from  four  to  eight  hundred  francs 
for  stallions,  should  be  accorded  only  to  specimens  of  real 
merit.  Quality,  when  it  effects  the  regeneration  of  a  race, 
is  always  preferable  to  quantity. 

It  is,  especially,  necessary  to  excite  earnest  breeders  by 
all  possible  means,  to  preserve  or  to  buy  remarkable 
Percherons,  presenting  in  their  form  and  character  the 
type  of  the  stallion.  And,  if  tlie  prizes  of  four  to  eight 
hundred  francs,  of  which  we  have  just  asked  the  institu- 
tion, should  not  appear  to  the  authorities  of  the  depart- 
mients  a  suiScient  means  to  impart  tbe  necessary  impulse 
for  the  complete  success  of  this  measure,  the  departments 
might  themselves  buy  some  remarkable  types,  and  either 
use  them,  themselves,  in  gratuitously  serving  the  finest 
mares,  or  in  confiding  them  to  good  farmers,  in  whose 
hands  they  would  be  given  the  prize  and  used  almost  for 
nothing,  as  long  as  their  health  permitted  them  to  be  prof- 
itably kept.  After  a  certain  number  of  years  these  stal- 
lions might  even  become  the  property  of  their  keepers,  or 
they  might,  from  the  beginning,  be  granted  them  at  reduced 
prices,  with  the  obligation,  on  the  one  side,  that  they 
should  be  used  with  judgment  and  preserved  with  care, 
and  on  the  other  side,  with  the  promise  of  a  largely 
remunerative  prize.  Love  of  gain  has  driven  the  peasant 
to  strip  himself  of  everything  he  owned  that  was  good ; 
it  now  belongs  to  the  authorities,  by  the  incentive  of  gain, 
to  induce  this  same  peasant  to  pursue  a  wiser  course. 

Oppose  as  much  as  possible  the  use  of  stallions  before 
fully  four  years  old,  and  the  fillies  being  put  to  breeding 
before  reaching  their  third  year.  This  can  only  be  attained 
by  giving  the  prize,  in  the  class  of  fillies,  to  such  as  have 
been  served  at  the  age  of  three  years,  by  stallions  of  at 
least  four  years  old. 


THE    PERCHEROIS'   HORSE.  87 

CrossinG:  by  selection  has  numerons  advocates,  and  from 
all  time,  the  best-informed,  the  most  practical  men,  have 
been  nnaniraons  in  prochtiming  tliat  blood  is  only  pre- 
served and  improved  by  blood — that  is  to  say,  by  selection. 
It  is  easy  and  not  expensive,  inasmuch  as  tlie  necessary 
subjects  are  always  at  hand;  it  is  natural,  inasmuch  as  its 
simpHcity  is  apparent  to  every  mind.  And,  if  it  does  not 
bring  the  rapid  results  so  pleasing  to  those  too  eager  for 
profit,  it  is,  at  least,  always  sure.  For,  without  giving  at 
first  exceptional  results,  it  never  fails  in  its  effects,  by 
reason  of  the  affinity  existing  between  the  different  indi- 
viduals, and  by  reason  especially  of  their  perfect  conformity 
with  the  climate  and  soil.  In  fact,  this  conformity  is  not 
an  indifferent  matter,  and  it  has  been  found  by  experience 
that  animals,  noted  upon  their  native  soil  for  their  sureness 
in  reproducing,  and  for  the  invariable  transmission  of  their 
qualities  to  their  descendants,  frequently  fail  in  these  re- 
spects when  imported  into  another  country.  Often,  several 
years  roll  by  before  they  recover  that  equilibrium  of  health 
and  that  tranquillity  of  animal  functions,  which  permit 
them  to  reproduce  in  a  sure,  equal,  and  fixed  manner, 
without  w^hich  an  improvement  in  the  type  cannot  take 
place. 

Selection  has  long  been  practiced  in  Perche,  and  it  has 
there  produced  for  a  long  time  the  best  results,  which  were 
interfered  with  only  by  the  importation  from  Picardy, 
Caux,  and  Boulogne,  of  animals  of  inferior  blood. 

Among  the  bovine  species,  we  have  curious  examples 
of  the  value  of  selection,  especially  those  furnished  in 
Cotentin,  wliere  a  breed  exists  the  finest,  best,  and  the  most 
sought  after  in  France.  Crossing  with  foreign  blood,  which 
fashion,  at  one  date  or  another,  had  wished  to  prescribe, 
has  always  been  forbidden  as  a  crime  in  this  country. 
It  is  thus  that  the  finest  herds  of  La  Manche,  and  especially 
those  of  M.  Mannoury  of  Canisy  near  Saint-L6  have  been 
formed.     The  success  of  this  breeder  began  at  Ebisey  near 


38  THE    PEKCHEEON   HOKSE. 

Caen,  where  he  commenced  a  few  years  ago  and  where 
the  stock  can  be  easily  examined. 

A  bull  of  the  Cotentin  race,  the  most  perfect  and  best 
bred  that  could  be  found,  put  to  heifers  of  the  same  breed, 
chosen  among  tlie  finest  types,  was  the  starting  j)oint 
officially  recorded.  Selection,  operating  upon  this  prog- 
eny, as  it  had  operated  in  the  beginning,  was  continued 
without  intermission,  and,  by  these  means  it  has  produced 
a  herd  all  the  members  of  which  are  alike  and  constant- 
ly transmitting  identical  qualities. 


CHAPTER    in. 

CONSANGUINITY. 

Conjugal  consanguinity  has  neither  partisans  nor  friends. 
The  physiologist,  physician,  priest,  and  legislator,  have  al- 
ways launched  against  it  the  same  anathema.  All,  in 
making  war  against  it,  knew  that  it  was  the  surest  method 
of  establishing  a  fixed  and  permanent  race;  but,  all,  pre- 
occupied in  seeking  a  means  of  universal  fusion,  thought 
they  had  found  in  the  prohibition  of  this  a  leveler  destined 
to  equalize  everything. 

It  was  feared  that  certain  families  would  become  too 
individualized,  too  marked  in  their  tendencies ;  and  all, 
without  acknowledging  it,  endeavored  to  close  a  way 
which  might  lead  to  the  engrossment  of  fortunes. 

Close  hiterbreeding,  in  the  horse,  has  not  the  same  politi- 
cal inconveniences ;  this  is  clearly  apparent ;  but  with  us, 
the  desire  to  legislate  upon  and  regulate  everything,  re- 
ducing all.  to  a  common  level,  has  prevailed.  Equine  con- 
sanguinity has  not,  any  more  than  the  other,  found  favor. 

One  fact,  however,  strikes  any  one  at  the  outset  who  has 


THE   PERCHEKOX   HOESE.  o'J 

Studied  the  equine  races,  followed,  step  by  stop,  tlieir 
progeny,  and  made  himself  acquanted  with  their  per- 
foraiances.     This  fact  is : 

If  a  horse  is  remarkable  over  all  otliers  in  one  of  the 
three  following  ways  :  personal  beauty,  high  qualities,  or 
soreness  of  reproduction ;  go  back  boldly  to  his  origin, 
and  you  will  find  yourself,  at  each  step,  face  to  face 
with  close  interbreeding — that  is  to  say,  the  reforming  of  a 
race  by  means  of  itself,  the  result  of  great  qualities  in- 
creased by  drafts  made  at  the  source  of  a  generous  blood. 

The  thoroughbred  race  in  England,  which  has  been 
formed  but  with  a  very  limited  number  of  primitive  agents, 
and  which,  consequently,  soon  became  consanguine,  has 
anew,  and  at  two  distinct  epochs,  absorbed  in  every  de- 
gree and  repeatedly  the  blood  of  two  famous  groups,  rep- 
resented, the  first  by  Byedy  Turlc^  Barley  Arabian^ 
and  Godolphin  Arahiayi;  the  second,  by  3Iatchem^  Herod^ 
and  Eclipse.  At  the  present  moment,  it  maintains  itself, 
thanks  to  a  universal  consanguinity,  and  everything  good 
which  exists,  by  going  back  inevitably  to  these  sole  pro- 
genitors, now  forms  but  one  and  the  same  family.  Mag- 
nificent results  have  come  from  these  alliances,  and  every 
day  it  can  be  proved  that  this  blood  has  not  degenerated. 

It  is  the  same  in  all  breeding  countries,  and  it  has  been 
shown,  (for  proofs  see  the  journal  "ia  vie  d  la  cannpagne^\ 
of  the  30th  November,  1863),  that  especially  in  Merlerault, 
the  nursery  of  the  fine  French  breeds,  everything  excep- 
tionally good  which  exists,  or  which  has  existed,  is  the  re- 
sult of  consanguinity — that  is,  "  in-and-in  breeding." 

The  following  is  the  conclusion  of  the  author  of  this  note  : 

These  examples  (the  pedigrees  of  the  best  horses),  col- 
lected with  care,  will  perhaps  bring  upon  me  the  accusa- 
tion of  being  a  partisan  of  in-and-in  breeding.  In 
principle,  I  condemn  its  absolute  use ;  but,  within  cer- 
tain limits,  I  admit  and  advise  it,  especially  in  the  com- 
mencement, when  it  becomes  a  question  of  founding  and 


40  THE    PEECHEEON   IIOESE. 

estaWisliini]:  a  family  designed  to  exercise  a  permanent  in- 
fluence upon  the  future  improvement  of  a  region. 

Uniting  together  vices  of  conformation,  character,  and 
temperament,  is  rendering  them  indelible  for  ever.  Unitin^r 
quality,  beauty,  and  aptitude,  it  is  preserving  the  monopoly 
of  these  in  a  single  lamily. 

Hence,  I  would  like,  when  there  appeared,  on  the  turf 
or  elsewhere,  one  of  those  envied  types  of  which  nature  is 
generally  so  sparing,  that  judicious  attempts,  made  with 
patience,  should  fix  the  qualities  so  apt  to  disappear,  and 
collect,  so  to  speak,  all  the  sources  whence  they  emanate. 

The  brothers,  sisters,  and  collaterals,  should  be  included, 
but  once  only,  in  these  crossings,  which  might  even  go 
back,  if  it  were  still  time,  as  far  as  the  grandsires  and 
dams,  on  account  of  the  resemblance  noticed  between 
ancestors  and  their  grandchildren. 

Finally,  the  truly  valuable  and  completely  successful  re- 
sults of  a  family  thus  strengthened  should  be  coupled  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  of  intelligent  crossing  to  the  equally 
confirmed  representatives  of  some  other  excellent  family, 
fit  to  form  new  offspring. 


CHAPTER    TV. 

OUGHT  THE  GRAY  COLOR  OF  THE  PERCHERON  TO  BE 
INFLEXIBLY  MAINTAINED? 

Formerly  I  liked  the  gray  horse  very  much,  and  have 
more  than  once  praised  this  color.  But  time  has  dissi- 
pated my  illusions. 

Thus,  while  acknowledging  my  foimer  preferences  for 
the  gray  horse  over  the  horse  of  a  different  shade,  I  am 
now  very  far  from  showing  myself  exclusive,  and  quar- 


THE    PERCHERON   HORSE.  41 

reling  with  the  mass  of  enlightened  persons  who  seem 
desirous  of  adopting  the  dark  colored  coats.  I  only  desire 
one  thing,  and  that  is  to  save  the  Percheron  race,  and  to 
preserve  to  Perche  its  prosperity  and  its  glory. 

If  I  have  liked  the  gray  horse,  it  was  from  conviction, 
and  not  to  court  those  who  saw  no  safety  ontside  the 
gray.  But  when  the  wisdom  and  the  extreme  intelligence 
of  masters  of  science,  prefering  a  less  showy  color,  de- 
monstrated to  me  that  Perche  might  find  an  era  of  new 
glory  and  prosperity  in  changing  the  coat  of  its  horse  and 
thus  enlarging  the  circle  of  consumption,  I  bowed  meek- 
ly to  their  opinion.  I  liked  the  gray  horse  because  I 
thought  that  Providence  had  created  it  gray  in  order  that 
it  might  be  able  to  withstand,  during  its  work,  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  not  be  prostrated  under  its  rays.  I  liked  it 
gray,  as  the  Arab  likes  his  horse  gray  and  his  bournous 
of  a  whitish  color ;  as  the  American  planter  likes  his  white 
cotton  suit  and  his  panama ;  as  our  soldier,  in  the  field, 
liked,  under  the  African  or  Mexican  sky,  the  havelock 
which  protected  him  against  the  rays  of  the  burning 
luminary.  I  liked  it  gray  because  it  seemed  to  me  to  recall 
more  than  any  other  the  Arab,  the  primitive  horse ;  be- 
cause Perche  having  always  possessed  gray  horses,  I 
thought  there  was  much  more  chance  of  finding,  under 
this  coat,  the  type  of  the  country ;  because  I  had  been 
rocked  to  sleep  to  the  tune  of  that  old  ballad  of  our 
ancestors,  celebrating  Charles  de  Trie,  the  Percheron 
Seigneur,  going  forth  to  combat  the  English  at  the  battle 

of  Poitiers ; 

"  On  charger  white 
The  sire  of  Trie 
Against  the  foe 
Has  gone  to  war,"  etc.  etc. ; 

because,  in  a  word,  during  my  infancy,  I  had  breathed  the 
dust  of  the  old  manuscripts  making  mention  of  the  white 
Percheron  mares.  I  liked  it  gray,  because,  for  the  service 
of  the  post-coaches  and  couriers,  in  their  long  stages,  in  the 


42  THE    PEECHERON   HORSE. 

middle  of  tlie  night,  the  gray  horse  appeared  to  me  more 
easy  to  guide  than  the  horse  of  a  dark  color.  Finally,  it 
has  always  seemed  to  me  that  this  coat  was  more  becom- 
ing than  any  other  the  powerful  form  of  a  \agorous 
worker.  Does  not  a  good-looking,  stalwart,  and  honest 
peasant  please  you  better — is  he  not  infinitely  more  at 
ease  with  the  Gallic  blouse  covering  his  broad  shoulders, 
than  under  the  dark  folds  of  a  fashionable  coat,  w^hich 
makes  him  appear  awkward  and  abashed  ? 

But  everything  is  much  changed.  The  country  has 
no  longer  any  special  type  in  the  midst  of  all  this  grny 
amalgamated  with  Brittany,  Picardy,  and  Caux,  of  which 
the  equine  stock  of  Perche  is  now  composed.  If  the 
Percheron  should  cease  to  be  bound  by  this  law  of  gray, 
if  he  should  become  of  all  shades,  at  the  same  time  re- 
maining good,  and  such  as  Perche  knows  how  to  make 
him,  he  would  cease  to  be  dishonored  by  those  everlasting 
plagiarists,  shamelessly  calling  themselves  Percherons 
because  they  happen  to  be  gray  and  have  travelled  across 
the  Perche  country.  If  he  should  become  of  all  shades, 
in  preserving  the  qualities  and  movement  which  are  a 
featui-e  of  everything  that  the  tonic  grasses  and  the  fine 
and  vivifying  air  of  Perche  produces,  he  would  not  be 
reduced  to  the  simple  role  of  I'urnishing  the  6,000  or  7,()C0 
horses  that  the  omnibuses  and  teamsters  each  year  require, 
plus  the  GOO  or  700  typical  ones  that  foreign  countries  de- 
mand of  Perche.  He  might,  little  by  little,  contribute  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  half-fancy  and  to  the  wants  of  the 
hunting  and  army  equipages ;  he  might  advantageously 
replace  the  German  horse,  which  we  are  obliged  to  employ 
in  want  of  a  better.  Post-coaches  no  longer  existing, 
there  is  no  longer  need  of  gray  horses  for  the  night  in  the 
midst  of  the  darkness  of  the  highways.  Steam  machinery, 
the  indispensable  substitute  for  the  lack  of  human  hands  in 
the  country,  being  destined  to  execute,  in  part,  the  labors 
of  agriculture,  the  horse  will  be  less  employed  there,  and 


THE   PERCIIEEOJ^"   HORSE.  43 

the  one  that  will  he  called  for,  having  fewer  difficulties  to 
overcome,  can  he  lighter,  more  distuigue^  faster,  and 
more  fit  for  adaptation  to  the  exigences  of  trade  and 
fashion. — Finally,  Fashion  wishing,  positively,  no  more 
gray  horses,  and  the  Perclieron  finding  no  lunger  a  siitH- 
cient  employment  in  the  omnibuses,  will  soon  find  himself 
in  a  tight  place  if  he  do  not  take  a  fresh  start,  and  make 
himself  acceptable — if  he  do  not  conform  to  the  ex- 
actions of  the  age,  and  become  more  stylish  and  darker 
colored. 

It  is  settled,  then,  that  he  must  put  upon  his  back  a  less 
showy  covering ;  but  he  can  only  do  this  on  condition 
that  he  become,  thanks  to  good  crossings,  more  present- 
able and  have  a  more  stylish  air.  And,  really,  what  is 
more  ridiculous  than  a  vulgar  and  common  beast  decked 
out  with  the  livery  of  the  fancy  and  private  horse ! 

Let  us  occupy  ourselves,  then,  seriously  in  looking  up 
breeding  stock  of  dark  coats ;  the  time  to  do  this  appears 
to  me  to  have  come.  But  where  will  we  go  to  find 
them  ?     Let  us  look  about  us  and  seek  for  this  in  Perche. 

If  you  there  find,  under  a  dark  coat,  a  fine  Percheron, 
possessing  all  the  qualities  and  specialties  of  the  race, 
make  haste,  take  him  and  color  your  horses.  Sincerely, 
I  give  you  this  advice.  Still,  as  in  the  present  state  of 
things,  it  is  rare  that  the  fine  and  the  somber  are  met  with 
together  g.mong  the  working  races,  by  reason  of  the 
horror  which  has  been  professed,  up  to  the  present  moment, 
for  everything  not  gray,  the  best  expedient  would  be  to 
color  the  coat  by  means  of  fine,  dark  skin  Arabs,  or  with 
good,  well-chosen  Norfolks,  a  subject  that  we  will  treat 
upon  in  the  chapter  of  crossings.  As  to  doing  it  other- 
wise, it  is  not  to  be  thought  of,  the  elements  not  exist- 
ing in  Perche. 

This,  however,  is  only  a  minor  matter.  The  essential 
point  is  to  unite  the  heavy  to  the  distingue^  weight  to  gait, 
mildness  to  vigor,  hardiness  to  energetic  temperament, 


44  THE    PERCHEKON   HOKSE. 

steadiness  and  precocity ;  in  a  word,  to  repeat  myself  for 
the  hundredth  time,  add  a  little  more  dash  and  style. 
Correct  the  defects  of  conformation,  the  imperfections  of 
color,  without  weakening,  without  breaking  up  the  harmony 
of  the  admirable  qualities  which  have  made  of  the  Per- 
cheron  the  first  horse  of  the  age. 


CHAPTER    Y. 

PRESERVE    PURE,    AND    WITHOUT    INTERMIXTURE,    THE 

THREE    TYPES    OF    THE    PERCHERON    RACE— THE 

LIGHT     HORSE,    THE    DRAFT     HORSE,    THE 

INTERMEDIATE    HORSE. 

We  have  spoken,  in  Chapter  II,  Part  First,  of  the  three 
types  which  the  Percheron  race  presents — the  light  horse, 
the  draft  horse,  and  the  intermediate  or  post  horse.  These 
three  breeds  come  of  the  soil  and  are  the  product  of  an- 
cient crosses.  There  is  reason  for  their  existing  and  for 
their  marked  peculiarities  ;  and  reason  requires,  then,  that 
they  should  be  preserved,  and,  in  miuntaining  them  always 
in  their  proper  functions,  we  obey,  in  that  progressive 
spirit  which  urges  us  to  embellish  everything.  The  first 
is  destined  to  become  the  post  horse  and  horse  for  private 
use,  the  surest  and  most  agreeable  means  of  locomotion. 
The  second  cannot  be  replaced  for  express  carting,  and  for 
the  builders  and  contractors  of  Paris  and  other  large 
towns.  To  the  third,  the  omnibuses  always  offer  a  steady 
market.  Consequently,  it  is  important  to  keep  them  with- 
out intermixture  and  to  continue  them  uninterruptedly 
each  in  its  respective  class.  Hence  in  seeking  to  add 
weight  to  a  class  it  is  necessary  to  avoid  crossing  it  with 


THE    PERCIIERON   HOESE.  45 

a  race  superior  in  height,  and  different  in  conformation 
and  temperament. 

The  heaviest  and  strongest  of  a  class,  united  among 
themselves,  will  produce  more  surely  the  kind  demanded 
than  a  too  precipitate  crossing.  Xothing  is  more  risky 
than  crosses  made  without  judgment.  It  is  by  them  that 
harmony  of  form  is  destroyed,  and  a  degenerate  mongrel 
race  is  produced  as  the  inevitable  consequence.  It  is  then 
important,  in  the  reunion  of  types,  never  to  lose  sight  of 
equality  and  similarity  of  conformation  and  qualities. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  necessary  to  march  with  the 
age,  study  its  tendencies,  and  be  always  ready  to  guide  a 
movement  which  otherwise  might  drag  you  in  its  wake. 

We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  services  re- 
quired of  the  Percheron  horse  are  not  the  same  as  former- 
ly. The  onmibus  service,  especially,  which,  scarcely  ten 
years  ago,  was  considered  the  mildest,  has,  at  present,  be- 
come the  hardest,  and  t3|e  one  which  requires  heavy 
horses,  uniting  speed  with  strength. 

On  the  other  hand,  as  a  consequence  of  the  great 
changes  in  the  life  and  means  of  conveyance  of  the 
wealthy,  the  Percheron  race  has  been  most  prominently 
brought  forward.  Almost  all  ranks  of  the  upper  classes 
have  now  adopted  the  Percheron  horse  of  the  light  kind 
for  their  private  uses,  himts  and  drives  in  the  country. 
The  fondness  for  rapid  traveling  rendering  these  classes 
more  exacting  than  formerly,  the  necessity  has  arisen  of 
finding  in  Perche,  specimens  with  weight  and  speed  with 
a  light  and  stylish  form.  Accordingly,  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  find  means  of  adding  the  greatest  possible  speed 
to  the  other  valuable  characteristics  of  the  Percheron 
horse.  To  reach  this  result  promptly,  we  should  have  re- 
course to  the  Arabian  stallion,  and  this,  surely,  would  be 
the  quickest  means.  But  as  I  do  not  find  this  Percheron 
race,  in  its  present  state,  sufiiciently  prepared  for  this  al- 
liance, and  as  I  think  that  it  still  needs  two  or  three  gen- 


46  THE    PEECHEROIT   HOUSE.  • 

erations  of  preparatory  crossings  with  itself,  it  -will  be 
necessary  to  commence,  in  order  to  attain  this  end,  by 
close  interbreeding. 

We  should,  at  first,  commence  by  exploring  the  Perche- 
ron  centers  devoted  exclusively  to  the  rearing  of  mares, 
and,  in  these  places,  we  should  particularly  visit  the  local- 
ities in  which  they  have  no  great  development  as  to 
height.  Here  we  would  select  a  group  of  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  fillies,  the  best,  the  finest  limbed,  the  most  com- 
pact, the  fastest  trotters,  and  having  for  an  extreme  max- 
imum the  height  of  15^  1^  to  16  hands. 

Tlie  same  course  should  be  pursued  in  the  regions  where 
the  colts  are  raised,  and  there  choice  should  be  mnde  of 
some  light  stallions,  approaching,  as  much  as  possible,  to 
the  mares  in  form  and  qualities. 

All  the  best  foals,  then,  should  be  in  their  turn  subject- 
ed to  couplings  conducted  with  the  same  care,  and  among 
the  third  generation  would  be  found  types  suflSciently  con- 
firmed, either  as  founders  of  a  race  among  themselves,  or 
for  crossing  with  the  Arab,  of  which  we  will  speak  in  the 
following  chapter. 

If  a  little  larger  size  be  required,  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  have  recourse  to  other  types  than  those  which  I 
have  just  indicated.  Well-balanced  horses  favor  every 
modification.  More  tonic,  substantial  nourishment,  and 
more  fertile  meadows  would  increase  the  height  and 
weight,  as  well  as  the  strength  and  spirit. 

Do  you  desire  omnibus  horses? — You  can  obtain 
them  by  selecting  in  the  regions  which  best  produce  the 
post-horse,  the  strongest  types,  the  heaviest  bodied,  the 
most  favored  as  to  height,  and  the  fastest  trotters.  But 
never  yield  any  of  these  three  jioints :  weight,  spirit,  and 
speed. 

The  animals  the  nearest  alike  in  size  and  form  should 
then  be  coupled  together,  after  the  manner  indicated 
above,  and  when  weight,  spirit,  and  speed,  are  found  with- 


THE    PERCHERON   HORSE.  47 

out  fiiiling  in  all  the  progeny,  It  will  then  he  time,  but  not 
till  then,  to  add  style.  The  Arabian  stallion,  whose  ten- 
dency, as  we  will  see  later,  is  to  produce  heavier  and 
stronger  than  himself,  while  at  the  same  time  imparting 
his  mark  of  supreme  distinction,  might  then  be  introduced 
to  embellish  and  confirm  our  good  results. 

The  heavy  draft  and  the  express  wagon  horses  should 
have  weight :  this  is  a  sine  qua  non  condition ;  but  it 
woidd  be  a  great  mistake  to  confine  ourselves  exchisively 
to  mere  size.  They  should  possess  powerful  limbs  and 
muscles,  joined  to  great  spirit.  This  crossing,  although 
the  easiest,  would  also  present  great  dangers  should  we 
be  satisfied  with  weight  alone ;  we  would  soon  arrive  at 
the  mere  lymphatic  horse.  It  is,  j^herefore,  urgent,  for  the 
breeds  possessing  requisite  strength,  to  choose  those 
which  are  the  most  distingue^  the  most  nervous,  the 
finest  limbed,  and  the  most  spirited,  and  to  avoid  the 
sluggish  and  lymphatic.  These  will  be  found  in  the  ele- 
vated and  dry  centers,  where  the  food  is  plenty  and  nutri- 
tions. 

If  Perche  proper,  Beauce,  and  the  environs  of  Chateau- 
dun,  should  not  be  capable  of  furnishing  their  complete 
contingent  in  this  specialty  (as  I  believe  they  cannot,) 
some  good  specimens  could  be  met  with  among  the 
Percheron  colts  raised  in  the  environs  of  Bern  ay  and  on 
the  plains  of  Sens. 

This  variety  (the  draft-horse)  demands  a  great  deal  less 
care  in  the  choice  of  the  dams  and  sires.  It  is  infinitely 
more  elementary,  since  weight  is  principally  sought  after. 
Still,  it  is  well,  even  indispensable,  to  select  individuals 
short  cou^iled  and  with  good  quarters,  to  hold  out  under 
the  enormous  loads  they  are  obliged  to  draw.  The  means 
resorted  to  to  accomplish  this  are  judicious  crosses,  con- 
stantly made  with  a  well-determined  and  always  identical 
idea,  tending  to  increase  weight  and  strength,  while  pre- 
serving spirit  and  vigor,  abundant  nourishment,  and  breed- 


48  THE    PERCHEEON   HOESE. 

ing  in  those  sections  naturally  most  propitious  to  style  and 
size.  Soon,  Perche,  placed  in  a  situation  without  a  rival 
for  the  present,  and,  above  all,  for  the  future,  might  for- 
ever avoid  asking  any  thing  of  foreign  crossings.  For 
though  the  choice  of  the  stallion  and  the  mare  is  so  im- 
portant in  the  production  of  the  foal,  the  climate,  the  kind 
of  food,  the  agricultural  habits,  and,  finally,  the  adaptation 
of  the  region  to  horse  breeding,  are  of  a  great  deal  more 
importance  in  the  development  of  the  animal.  It  becomes, 
then,  somewhat  difficult  to  indicate  accurately  to  what 
types,  in  such  particular  cases,  the  preference  should  be 
awarded.  The  best  are  those  which  most  nearly  meet  the 
wants  of  the  section. 


CHAPTER    YI. 

IMPROVEMENT    OF    THE    BREED    BY    MEANS    OF   FOREIGN 

CROSSINGS. 

However,  if  with  strength  acquired  and  faults  correct- 
ed, style  is  not  attained,  it  may  be  sought  after  by  judi- 
cious crosses  with  well-chosen  foreign  types. 

Two  diiferent  breeds  present  themselves  to  us  as  means 
of  improving  our  stock  by  the  introduction  of  foreign 
blood :  the  Arabian,  and  the  English,  with  its  variations. 
Starting  from  this  point,  let  us  study  both  and  endeavor 
to  discover,  by  analogy,  which  one  would  best  suit,  or, 
rather,  which  one  is  the  least  unfavorable  to  the  purpose. 

I  will  examine,  one  after  another,  these  two  methods  in 
detail,  leaving  fo  the  cultivator,  who  is  most  interested  in 
the  question,  the  choice  of  employing  that  which  seems 
to  him  the  best  and  the  most  appropriate,  taking  into 
view  the  fertility  and  the  nature  of  his  section.     But  I 


THE   PERCHEEON   HOESE.  49 

must,  from  the  begimiincr,  lay  down  as  a  principle  that 
both  are  more  expensive  than  is  interbreeding.  A  race 
to  become  fit  to  receive  a  foreign  cross,  should  be  prepared 
for  it  in  advance,  in  order  to  shorten,  as  much  as  possible, 
the  distance  existing  between  the  breed  so  fbnned  and 
proved  and  that  which  Ave  seek  to  create. 

In  fact,  the  foreign  cross  can  do  no  good,  unless  the  de- 
sired qualities  in  the  race  upon  which  it  is  made  are  per- 
manent, fixed,  and  characteristic. 

Why  not  think  also  of  increasing  our  resources  by  bet- 
ter cultivation,  by  liberal  feeding,  by  choosing,  as  I  have 
said  above,  among  the  race  of  the  country,  the  most  per- 
fect types  and  those  most  likely  to  correct  what  is  vicious 
while  they  impart  their  own  good  qualities?  Methods  of 
this  kind,  pursued  for  a  long  time  and  persistently,  are 
alone  capable  of  preparing,  without  inconvenience,  for  a 
foreign  cross. 

Drain  your  wet  meadows,  irrigate  your  hill-sides,  fertil- 
ize your  soil  by  the  use  of  improving  manures,  make  pro- 
ductive fields  everywhere,  create  meadows,  grow  heavy 
oats,  enlarge  your  stables  and  make  tliem  clean,  healthy 
and  airy.  When  you  have  done  this,  then,  but  not  before, 
you  can  cross  your  races  with  foreign  blood,  more  delicate 
than  yours  and  accustomed  to  and  requiring  greater  care 
and  attention. 

I  know  that  this  slowly  progressive  manner  does  not 
possess  the  sympathies  of  those  who,  at  the  commence- 
ment, are  restless  at  not  having  already  reached  the  goal. 
But  it  is  sure  and  free  from  errors,  whilst  the  other, 
(France  has  but  too  many  examples  of  this),  after  money 
squandered  and  years  wasted,  reduces  the  breeder  who 
has  recourse  to  it  to  a  more  miserable  condition  than  that 
from  which  he  wished  to  escape. 

Our  furia  francese^  which  renders  us  irresistible  in 
war,  our  fancy  for  new  fashions,  which  gives  birth  to 
those  wonders  which  the  world  hails  with  ecstacy,  and 
3 


50  THE   PERCHERON    HOESE. 

our  proverbial  inconstancy,  cause  us  almost  always  to  go 
astray  in  breeding.  Fashion  has  no  sooner  praised  horses 
of  such  and  such  a  race,  of  this  or  that  model,  or  such  and 
such  a  coat,  than  we  must  immediately  produce  the  like, 
without  first  ascertaining  whether  or  no  our  race  be  pre- 
pared for  ci-ossing  with  them.  The  result  of  such  crosses 
would  be  about  as  valuable  as  a  discussion  between  a  fish- 
woman  and  an  academician ! 

Nature,  left  to  herself,  is  a  thousand  times  more  intel- 
ligent than  the  man  of  systems.  Are  there  ever  found, 
among  the  wild  animals,  among  lions,  tigers,  stags,  cham- 
ois, etc.,  either  spavins,  tumors,  periodical  inflammations, 
or  any  of  those  thousand  infirmities  with  which  our  do- 
mestic horse  is  afflicted? — ^And  here  is  the  reason:  in 
the  rutting  season,  the  possession  of  the  females  becomes 
the  incitement  to  bloody  battles.  It  is  always  the  strong- 
est, the  most  vigorous,  the  bravest,  the  most  venturesome, 
and  the  best  made  stallion,  which  receives  as  a  reward  for 
his  victory,  the  submission  and  the  admiring  love  of  the 
harem. 

But  I  assume  Perch e  prepared,  by  numerous  and  good 
crossings  of  the  race  withm  itself,  to  try,  with  more  sure- 
ness,  foreign  crossings.  Two  principal  types,  as  we  have 
just  seen,  are  presented  for  this :  the  Arab  type  and  the 
English,  which  is  itself  derived  from  the  Arab. 

The  foreign  cross  I  only  speak  of  with  diffidence,  be- 
cause with  it  I  enter  unknown  regions  of  inductions  and 
perhaps,  alas!  into  ways  of  deception  and  ruin,  if  it  is  not 
effected  with  the  greatest  prudence  and  judgment. 

Foreign  crossings,  systematically  efiected  from  the  north 
to  the  south,  and  from  the  south  to  the  north,  have  had 
Buffon  for  their  apostle,  and,  under  the  cloak  of  his  genius, 
and  thanks  to  the  authority  of  his  word,  they  have  reach- 
ed everywhere.  But  how  enumerate  the  evils  brought 
about  by  a  school,  wdiose  disciples  are  still  numerous, 
thanks  tu  a  peiseverance  irritated   but  n'»t   deterred  by 


THE    PERCHEBON   HOUSE.  51 

failure  ?  These  evils  have  been  branded  in  large  characters 
on  all  our  breeds,  since  that  day  when  they  became  the 
objects,  not  of  constant  and  uniform  care,  but  considered 
as  subjects  of  no  consequence,  upon  which  individuals 
miglit  experiment  in  order  to  test  their  theories,  and  set 
themselves  up  as  teachers. 

Since  then,  we  have  no  more  types  properly  belonging 
to  distinct  districts,  but  a  confused  assembly,  combining 
with  rare  qualities  the  defects  of  this  or  that  cross  and 
twenty  others  more.  Everywhere  in  turn,  from  one  region 
or  another,  were  stallions  employed  of  different  types  and 
races :  those  of  the  south  transported  to  the  north,  and 
those  of  the  north  to  the  south ;  and  that  without  prepa- 
ration, and  without  attention  to  the  differences  of  soil  and 
climate  of  the  various  regions.  All  these  practices  have 
injured  our  breeds  without  successfully  retaining  their 
own  native  qualities. 


CHAPTER    Vn. 

THE    ARAB    CROSSING. 

I  commence  with  the  Arab  crossing.  Two  motives 
have  induced  me  to  follow  this  classification  : 

1st.  The  Arabian  is  the  type  horse,  and  the  type  should 
be  examined  before  its  derivatives. 

2)id.  The  Percheron  shows  a  very  great  analogy,  by  his 
coat,  conformation,  character  of  race,  mild  disposition, 
and  endurance,  to  the  Arab,  of  which  he  seems  to  be  the 
son,  notwithstanding  certain  differences,  the  result  of 
time,  climate,  and  the  region  in  which  he  is  bred  and  in 
which  he  lives. 

I  have  said  that  the  Percheron  horse  exhibits  in  com- 


52  THE    PERCHEROU"   HOESE. 

mon  with  the  Arab  numerous  marks  of  a  common  parent- 
age and  relationship:  these  marks  are  very  obvious.  A 
PercheroTi,  a  true  Percheron,  for  some  still  exist,  (as  the 
famous  Toulouse  of  M.  Cheradame,  of  Ecouche ;  and  the 
renowned  Jean-U-Blcmc  of  M.  Miard,  of  Yillers,  near  Sap, 
in  the  department  of  the  Orne,  etc.,  etc.,)  placed  along- 
side of  an  Arab,  presents,  notwithstanding  his  heavier 
and  grosser  form,  analogies  with  him  so  striking  that  we 
are  easily  induced  to  believe  them  undoubted  relations. 

The  Percheron  of  the  primitive  type  has  a  gray  coat 
like  the  Arab ;  and  like  him  an  abundant  and  silky  mane, 
a  fine  skin,  and  a  large,  prominent,  and  expressive  eye ;  a 
broad  forehead,  dilated  nostrils,  and  a  full  and  deep 
chest,  although,  the  girth,  with  him,  as  with  the  Arab,  is 
always  lacking  in  fullness ;  more  bony  and  leaner  limbs, 
and  less  covered  with  hair  than  those  of  other  draft-horse 
families. 

He  has  not,  it  is  true,  the  fine  haunch  and  fine  form  of 
the  shoulder,  nor  that  swan-like  neck  which  distinguishes 
the  Arab ;  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  for  ages  he 
has  been  employed  for  draft  purposes,  and  these  habits 
have  imparted  to  his  bony  frame  an  anatomical  structure, 
a  combination  of  levers  adapted  to  the  work  he  is  called 
upon  to  perform.  He  has  not,  I  again  acknowledge, 
such  a  fine  skin  as  the  Arab,  nor  his  prettily  rounded, 
oval,  and  small  foot;  but  we  must  remember  the  fact  that 
he  lives  under  a  cold  climate,  upon  elevated  plains,  where 
nature  gives  him  for  a  covering  a  thicker  skin  and  a 
warmer  coat,  and  that  he  has  been  for  ages  stepping  upon 
a  moist,  clayey  soil. 

In  all  that  remains  in  him,  we  recognize  a  heavy  Arab, 
modified  and  remodeled  by  climate  and  peculiar  circum- 
stances. He  has  remained  mild  and  laborious,  like  his 
sire ;  he  is  brought  up,  like  him,  in  the  midst  of  the  family, 
and,  like  him,  he  possesses  in  a  very  high  degree  the  fac- 
ulty of  easy  acclimation.     He  acquires  this  in  the  midst 


THE    PERCHEKON   HORSE,  53 

of  the  numerous  migrations  he  accomplishes  in  Perche,  the 
counterpart  of  those  that  the  type  horse  makes  upon  the 
sands  of  the  desert.  A  final  comparison,  which  has  not, 
as  yet,  been  sufficiently  noticed,  is,  that,  like  the  Arab,  he 
has  no  need  of  being  mutilated  in  order  to  be  trained, 
managed  and  kept  without  danger.  In  a  word,  the  Perche- 
ron,  notwithstanding  the  ages  which  separate  them,  pres- 
ents an  affinity  as  close  as  possible  with  the  primitive 
horse,  which  is  the  Arab. 

From  this  similarity  of  form  and  probable  relationship, 
comes  the  thought  of  new  alliances.  But  in  order  to  form 
a  more  easy  estimate  of  their  effects,  it  will  not  be  with- 
out interest  to  classify  the  horses  with  reference  to  their 
origin.  This  classification  produces  three  very  distinct 
groups :  the  primitive  horse,  the  natural  horse,  and  the 
compound  horse. 

The  Prhnitive  Horse,  oriental  in  its  origin,  is  the  pure 
Arabian  horse ;  no  other  is  acknowledged. 

During  the  time  of  the  crusaders,  as  we  ha,ve  already 
said  in  our  first  part,  in  consequence  of  wars  and  all  kinds 
of  excursions,  individuals  of  this  race  were  spread  over  al- 
most all  parts  of  the  globe.  Although  at  first  the  prestige 
which  their  superior  merits  deserved  led  to  their  being 
bred  in-and-in,  these  exiles  were  placed  under  different 
latitudes,  in  different  atmospheric  and  hygienic  conditions, 
which  gradually  modified  their  qualities  and  led  to  the  de- 
generacy of  the  race.  And  it  became  more  or  less  degen- 
erate in  proportion  as  the  soil  upon  which  the  colts  were 
foaled  was  colder,  poorer,  and  more  inhospitable ;  for  the 
horse  is  as  much,  and  more,  the  son  of  the  soil  upon  which 
he  is  foaled  and  reared  as  he  is  of  his  sire  and  dam. 

This  fact  has  no  need  of  proof.  We  see  it  every  day 
before  our  eyes  in  studying  at  home  the  changes  that  our 
French  breeds  themselves  undergo  when  transported  from 
one  province  to  another.     It  might,  however,  be  thought 


54  THE   PERCnERON   HORSE. 

that  these  new  latitudes,  these  new  regions,  would  differ 
but  little  from  those  in  which  they  lived. 

The  first  cliange  that  the  primitive  horse  undergoes, 
from  the  diiference  of  the  regions  into  which  he  has  been 
transplanted,  being  due  to  nature  itself,  we  call  the 
result  the  Natural  Horse. — Here  it  is  proper  to  remark 
how  wise  nature  always  is.  If  it  modify  the  primitive 
horse  for  the  worse,  it  modifies  him,  however,  under  condi- 
tions better  adapted  to  his  wants.  In  rendering  him  more 
puny,  it  renders  him  more  temperate,  and  enables  him  to 
live  and  to  nourish  himself  upon  the  food  that  the  locality 
is  able  to  furnish.  Submitted  to  the  trials  and  the  fatigues 
of  war,  and  to  all  the  miseries  in  its  train,  the  natural 
horse,  badly  built,  ungainly  and  puny  as  he  is,  endures 
fatigue  almost  as  well  as  the  j^rimitive  horse. 

The  Cross-bred  Horse  is,  as  his  name  indicates,  the  issue 
of  a  sire  and  dam  of  different  breeds.  This  crossing, 
made  with  a  view  to  improvement,  may  give,  when  judic- 
ious, more  elegant,  better  made,  and  finer-bodied  progeny 
and  also  quicker  in  their  various  gaits,  but  always  requir- 
ing, especially  if  derived  from  the  English,  exceptional 
care,  and  so  much  the  more  particidar  as  they  are  of  a  more 
dlstingve  nature. 

Abandoned  to  himself,  deprived  of  blankets,  shelter, 
grooming,  and  oats,  the  cross-bred  deteriorates  eaily,  and 
in  war  perishes  miserably,  while  the  natural  and  the  prim- 
itive horse  thrives  in  browsing  upon  the  scantiest  herbage. 
On  this  score,  our  two  campaigns  of  the  Crimea  and  Italy 
have  fui-nished  unquestionable  proofs. 

Such  is  the  result  chiefly  obtained  with  the  too  dis- 
tingue English  horse,  even  when  delivered  to  the  best 
Avorking  mares.  In  the  army,  especi;dly,  is  this  point  set- 
tled ;  they  have  there  recognized  and  proved  that  the 
worst  subjects  were  always  the  issue  of  authors  having 
too  much  blood  and  teO  impressionable.  No  horses  are 
more  apt  than  these  to  provoke  and  render  ill  humored, 


THE    PERCIIERON    HORSE.  55 

and,  if  I  may  so  speak,  ruin  the  temi^er  of  the  men  placed 
over  them. 

When  a  working  race  is  crossed  with  the  English,  it  is  in- 
dispensable that  the  stallion  shonld  be  well  bred  and  be  but 
a  quarter  blood, — a  quarter  at  the  utmost.  And  the  man- 
ner of  balancing  the  blood  is  neither  an  indifferent  thing 
nor  a  thing  to  be  neglected.  We  should  be  very  careful 
not  to  accept  as  such  the  product  of  a  full-blooded  or  even 
half-blooded  stallion  and  a  common  mare,  but  should  rather 
take  the  product,  ameliorated  through  generations,  of 
strong  races  that  have  been  gradually  perfected,  such  as, 
for  instance,  certain  Norfolk  horses,  certain  roadsters  and 
trotters,  of  which  old  Jaggard  was  a  type,  and  of  which 
Performer^  although  not  so  marked,  vaguely  recalled  the 
memory. 

Since  I  have  mentioned  the  name  of  Norfolk,  let  me 
say,  that  after  the  Arab  race,  of  all  the  foreign  ones, 
the  Norfolk  trotter  is  the  one  which  seems  to  me  to  offer 
the  greatest  advantages  in  an  alliance  with  the  Perche- 
ron.  With  both,  good  qualities  and  defects  are  diverse, 
so  that  they  can  complete  and  correct  each  other  by  means 
of  a  wisely  combined  and  carefully  studied  connection. 

The  Norfolk  horse  has,  it  is  true,  an  u'gly  head,  and  his 
eye  is  small  and  destitute  of  expression ;  but  his  neck, 
with  good  lines,  starts  well  from  his  breast ;  his  shoulder 
is  fine  and  well-sloped  ;  his  chest  magnificent,  and  his  girth 
enormous ;  his  loins  broad,  well-sustained  and  well-attach- 
ed ;  his  haunches  long,  his  croup  horizontal;  his  buttocks 
well  filled  out  and  low ;  and  his  limbs  strong,  but  not  quite 
free  enough  from  fat ;  nor  is  his  action  always  sufficiently 
stylish,  yet  he  has  a  quick  and  free  gait. 

Give  to  this  horse  a  mare  having  a  fine  and  expressive 
head,  lighted  up  with  a  large,  intelligent,  well-opened 
eye;  let  her  possess  lean,  elegant,  and  perfect  limbs, 
and,  a  hundred  to  one,  you  will  get  a  valuable  colt.  But, 
with  the  Norfolk,  as  with  all  others,  there  are  degrees,  and 


56  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

if  I  cross  the  Cliannel  in  search  of  a  stock  horse,  I  should 
wish  him  to  possess  the  folk) wing  qualities: 

This  stallion  should  be  rather  large,  have  thick  and 
strong  limbs,  chest  fully  developed,  the  girth  as  great  as 
possible,  very  heavy  in  the  hind-quarters,  buttocks  descend- 
ing well,  forehead  broad  and  open,  and  the  eye  large  and 
expressive.  He  should  be  always  shorter  in  height  than 
the  mares,  but  quite  as  broad,  and,  I  repeat  it,  as  short- 
limbed  as  possible,  on  accoimt  of  an  invariable,  innate  ten- 
dency of  the  English  horse  to  height  and  thinness.  He 
should  be  neither  cross,  nor,  above  all,  affected  with  that 
nervous  sensitiveness  too  common  in  the  English  breeds. 
His  action  sliould  be  quick,  well  kept  up,  bold  and  square. 
He  should  have,  if  possible,  a  decided  and  well-pronounced 
color,  either  a  dark  bay  or  a  chestnut.  Breeding  stock 
of  his  get  should  be  chosen  under  identical  conditions, 
and  then  tliey  would  be  on  a  footing  with  him,  although, 
logically  speaking,  there  would  be  always  an  inclination 
to  prefer  the  type  to  the  sub-type. 

But,  at  present,  it  is  easy  to  be  deceived,  even  in  Eng- 
land, in  regard  to  the  stock  of  the  country.  There  is  less 
risk  in  using,  if  he  can  be  found,  a  good,  heavy  Anglo- 
Norman  horse,  bred  and  reared  xmder  our  eyes  in  Merle- 
rault  or  on  the  plains  of  Alengon,  than  a  spurious  English 
one,  v/hich  is  often  none  otlier  than  a  forlorn  hope  of  some 
nameless  region.  In  fact,  from  certain  appearances,  there 
is  reason  to  fear  that  persons  from  the  other  side  of  the 
Channel  visit  the  continent  to  do  a  smart  thing,  and  pur- 
chase heavy,  lymphatic  colts  to  bring  up  on  some  English 
farm,  and  then  resell  them  as  Norfolk  horses.  What  kind 
of  improvement  is  to  be  expected  from  such  means? 
We  should  alvv^ays  respect  the  will  of  nature,  which  allows 
us  to  assist  her  in  her  course,  but  we  should  never  violate 
her  laws. 

Man  vainly  wishes  to  force  nature  with  all  these  cross- 
es, at  which  she  takes  exceptions.     To  all  this  so-called 


THE   PERCHERON    HORSE.  57 

science  she  opposes  her  relentless  logic ;  these  products 
are  an  unnatural  brood,  which  she  refuses  to  acknowledge 
as  lier  own.  She  stops  short,  and,  no  matter  how  good 
these  results  may  appear  in  themselves,  tlie  error  crops 
out,  and  it  is  known  by  experience  that  they  almost  all 
fail  when  put  to  the  test  of  breeding. 

But  suppose  every  measure  of  prudence  taken,  even  sup- 
pose there  lias  been  no  mistake,  most  of  the  produce  re- 
sulting from  this  first  crossing  will  be,  generally,  lighter 
built  than  tlieir  dams.  However,  among  the  number  there 
will  be  found  some  which,  uniting  weight  to  beauty,  will 
constitute  good  types  with  athletic  and  regular  forms. 
The  latter  only  should  be  preserved,  and  these  only  can 
be  usefully  employed,  either  among  themselves  or  outside 
of  their  own  families,  in  the  improvement  of  our  stock. 

At  the  second  crossing,  the  imperfections  observed  at 
the  first  will  disappear  in  a  great  measure,  and  from  the 
third  crossing,  with  constant  care,  unflinching  attention, 
and  unwearied  patience,  the  difficult  problem  Avill  be 
solved :  size  combined  with  vigor,  hardiness  of  constitu- 
tion w^ith  style,  and  weight  with  elegance. 

If,  on  the  contary,  by  wishing  to  make  too  quick  prog- 
ress, there  sliould  be  too  much  differcince  between  the 
stallion  and  the  mare,  the  resulting  stock,  although  in  ap- 
pearance successful,  will  alvrays  prove  bad  breeders,  giving 
ungainly  results,  with  blemishes  which  would  never  have 
occurred  in  proceeding  wisely,  especially  not  in  improv- 
ing by  means  of  the  primitive  horsCy  all  of  whose  ancestors 
are  of  the  same  race. 

This  latter  crossing,  that  is,  with  the  Arab,  may  some- 
times give  slower,  but  with  it  we  are  always  sure  to  ob- 
tain finally  better  results.  Thus  in  making  choice  of  the 
best  Percheron  mares  and  crossing  them  with  fine,  but  the 
stoutest  possible,  Arabs,  we  would  advance  towards  cer- 
tain improvements,  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  generations, 
we  would  be  sure  to  find  at  each  foaling  season  fine  types, 
3* 


58  THE    PEKCHEKON    HOKSE. 

combining^  with  the  strength  and  docility  of  the  dams  the 
style,  spirit,  and  intelligence,  of  the  sires.  For,  it  must  not 
be  forgotten,  work  requires  intelligent  horses;  the  more 
they  are  gifted  with  this  quality,  the  longer  they  last  and 
the  more  useful  their  services. 

If  the  drunken  driver  of  the  Lyons  Railroad,  whose  ad- 
venture is  known  the  world  over,  had  not  had  for  his  work- 
ing companion  a  brute  as  nobly  intelligent  as  the  old  horse 
Lapln^  employed  in  hauling  dirt  carts,  he  would  surely 
have  perished.  Tiie  driver  having  fallen  in  a  state  of  in- 
toxication on  the  railroad,  before  a  train  descending  a 
grade,  was  on  the  point  of  being  run  over,  when  the  horse, 
seeing  him  in  this  perilous  situation  and  at  the  risk  of  be- 
ing himself  crushed,  seized  him  by  the  waist  and  lifted 
him  off  the  track.  This  deed,  performed  under  the  eyes 
of  several  squads  of  workmen,  was  soon  known  over  the 
whole  line,  and  won  for  Lapin  the  title  of  The  {invcdld''s 
and  workingmeji's)  Adopted  jSon,  a  nobly  gained  title  and 
well-merited  reward,  if  ever  there  was  one. 

In  the  legends  of  all  times  are  to  be  found  examples  of 
the  intelligence  of  the  oriental  horse ;  but  I  have  never 
heard  quoted  a  single  one  in  regard  to  the  English  thor- 
oughbred, which  seems  only  formed  for  pride,  gluttony, 
and  brutality.  As  an  example  of  the  sagacity  of  the  Arab, 
I  will  limit  myself  to  mentioning  a  fact  witnessed  by  all 
the  officers  of  the  scliool  of  Saumur^  At  this  school  there 
was  an  old  Arabian  known  to  the  whole  army.  One  day, 
a  lady  having  her  handkerchief  scented  with,  I  know  not 
what  perfume,  passed  in  front  of  the  veteran,  caressing 
and  feeding  him  with  dainties.  From  that  time  on,  the 
officer  who  accompanied  the  lady  could  never  enter  her 
parlor,  although  the  odor  of  the  perfume  was  impercepti- 
ble to  all,  but  the  horse,  on  his  return,  was  aware  of  the 
fact,  and  bore  witness  to  it,  each  time,  by  neighing  and  by 
a  hundred  expressions  of  pleasure. 

The  vigor  and  pluck  of  the  oriental  horse  have  passed 


THE    PERCHEKOX    HORSE.  59 

into  a  proverb.  There  is  not  a  soldier  in  our  army  who 
cannot  bear  testimony  to  tliis. 

The  horses  of  the  EngUsh  cavalry  almost  all  perished 
in  the  Crimean  war,  whilst  our  Algerian  horses  almost  all 
returned.  In  the  Italian  war  our  Algerian  horses  bore 
well  the  fatigues  of  the  campaign,  where  the  horses 
springing  from  the  English  were  decimated. 

It  appears  impossible  that  these  two  proofs  should  have 
no  signification  and  should  not  teach  a  lesson.  Ought  it 
not  to  be  concluded  from  them  that  the  war-horse,  that  is 
the  horse  for  endurance,  should  only  be  of  Arab  blood  or 
at  lea^t  derived  from  the  Arab  ? 

And  are  we  not  justified  in  believing  that  what  has 
taken  place  with  the  war-horse  applies  also  to  other 
horses  destined  for  continuous  work  ?  Hence  are  we  not 
right  in  always  preferring  the  Arab  to  the  English  stallion, 
when  it  is  a  question  of  improving  the  different  breeds 
of  work  and  draft-horses,  as  well  as  the  war  horse  ? 

The  Arabian  stallion  would  seem  so  much  the  more  fit 
for  this  use,  as  a  long  experience  has  proved  that  his  get 
upon  our  native  mares  are  much  heavier  than  himself; 
they,  at  the  same  time,  always  transmitting  a  rich,  unblem- 
ished blood  and  a  solid  frame — qualities  which  are  preserv- 
ed indefinitely. 

The  Arab  horse  imparts,  also,  great  endurance  to  his 
progeny,  and  without  going  back  as  far  as  the  turf,  where 
we  see  figuring  on  the  top  round  of  the  ladder  Arlequin, 
Zephyr.  Vtdejickf,  Gorysandre  the  Lorraine,  whose  dam 
was  an  Arabian  of  Deux-Ponts,  Anthony^  Eylau^  Kashas^ 
and  Palmyre^  let  us  be  satisfied  with  citing  in  mass,  all 
the  fine  and  spirited  breeds  of  Limousin,  Navarre,  Bigorre, 
Tarbes,  and  Auvergne,  showing  in  every  pore  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Oriental  blood. 

It  is  also  especially  to  be  remarked,  although  the  Arab 
does  not  trot  and  only  gallops,  that  all  his  get  are  quick, 
square  trotters.     AYe  can  produce  numberless  examples 


60  THE    PERCHERON    HORSE. 

of  this,  althougli  Arab  blood  has  been  infinitely  less  dis- 
seminated than  any  other  in  our  Northern  districts. 

We  can  cite  the  famous  Eclipse  of  M.  de  Narbonne, 
the  no  less  famous  Serminie  of  M.  Forcinal,  all  the  de- 
scendants of  Bacha^  Asian  and  GalHpoll,  which  were 
matchless,  and  the  noble  sons  of  Massoud,  Eylau^  and 
JSfoteur.  But,  as  all  these  have  a  certain  amount  of  Eng- 
lish blood  joined  to  the  Arab,  we  shall  be  answered : — It 
was  the  English  blood  that  trotted  and  gave  them  their 
winning  points. — We  will  confine  ourselves  to  citing  only 
the  sons  of  JBedouin^  all  admirable  trotters,  though  all 
coming  of  poor  Brittany  mares,  the  Kerims^  the  Avisos^ 
and  the  Moggys^  whose  fine  action  invariably  attracts  the 
attention  of  every  one. 

But  the  endurance  possessed  by  the  Arab  in  so  eminent  a 
degree  is  not  the  only  quality  to  be  considered.  It  is  also 
the  opinion  of  the  best  breeders  that  the  race  is  good  tem- 
pered, docile,  patient,  of  great  precocity,  and  easily  raised, 
all  of  which  qualities  it  invariably  transmits  to  its  get. 

N'o  steeple-chase  horses  have  shown  themselves  more 
intelligent  than  Pledge^  Raphael^  Senora^  and  above  all 
the  immortal  Franc-Plcard,  by  whom  the  best  riders 
found  themselves  excelled  in  the  art  of  measuring  an  ob- 
stacle and  mastering  it  skillfully;  also,  these  were  deep  in 
the  Arab  blood.  If  Auricula^  notwithstanding  he  was  a 
son  of  Baron^  with  his  variable  and  peevish  temper  has 
shown  himself  to  be,  when  he  chose,  one  of  the  best  leap- 
ers  of  our  age,  it  is  because  through  his  dam  he  is  of  Arab 
blood. 

From  all  these  considerations  the  Arabian  seems  greatly 
preferable  to  the  English  horse,  which  exacts,  moreover, 
too  much  tact  and  skill  on  the  part  of  man.  The  educa- 
tion of  the  wagon  driver  is  not  yet  sufiiciently  advanced 
for  him  to  be  able  to  reap  all  the  advantages  claimed  of 
the  working  races.  The  irritability  of  the  English  horse, 
his  impatience,  and  his  nervousness,  which  are,  doubtless, 


THE    PEECHEEON   HOESE.  61 

of  utility  on  the  turf,  are  transmitted  to  all  liis  descend- 
ants, which  for  this  very  reason  are  less  fit  for  work,  less 
governable,  and  more  trying  to  the  patience  of  the  raw 
and  ignorant  driver  during  protracted  service. 

All  who  have  raised  colts  out  of  common  mares  by 
Arabians  are  unanimous  in  opinion,  and  we  have  ourselves 
proved  it,  that  their  get  is  generally  even  tempered,  of  a 
mild,  willing,  and  quiet  disposition,  easily  and  cheaply 
reared,  and  fit  for  work  at  three  years  old,  thus  paying 
for  their  keep. 

It  is  quite  the  contrary  with  the  colt  of  English  blood. 
He,  by  reason  of  his  fractiousness,  his  nervous  ardor,  his 
exacting  nature,  and  his  slow  growth,  requires  a  degree 
of  care  and  management  which  does  not  permit  him  to 
render  any  essential  service  before  the  age  of  five  years. 

It  results  from  this  that  the  Arabian  progeny,  even  at 
the  first  crossing,  which  is  always  the  most  difficult  and 
critical,  pays  for  its  nourishment  from  the  age  of  three 
years,  whilst  the  English  does  not  pay  until  he  has  reach- 
ed five  years,  and  this  without  counting  the  greater  ex- 
pense of  his  raising  and  the  difficulty  of  finding  men  cap- 
able of  breaking  and  training  him  without  accident  and 
bringing  him  safe  to  that  quinquennial  period. 

Were  their  qualities  the  same,  the  Arabian  would  cost 
much  less  to  the  breeder  than  the  English  horse.  To  the 
former,  then,  should  always  be  given  the  preference  in 
moderately  rich  countries  where  agriculture  has  not  arriv- 
ed at  great  pertection.  Thus  it  was  by  means  of  the 
Arabian  that  Limousin,  Navarre,  Bigorre,  the  plains  of 
Tarbes  and  Auvergne,  all  countries  neither  very  fertile  nor 
w^ealthy,  have  formed  their  unrivalled  horses,  the  hardi- 
ness of  which  suited  the  productions  of  the  soil.  These 
being  unsuited  to  the  more  delicate  and  less  vigorous 
English  horse,  its  introduction  was  an  injury  to  the  native 
stock.  In  our  days,  Limousin  has  been  ruined  by  the  in- 
troduction of  English  blood,  as  formerly,  in  the  district 


62  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

of  Tarbes,  three  important  breeders,  Messrs.  de  Gontaut, 
de  Bouillae,  and  de  Montreal,  ruined  their  studs  with  the 
English  cross. 

The  Arabian  can  be  used  without  fear  upon  the  undulat- 
ing slopes  of  elevated  hills,  and  upon  thin  stony  lands 
where  agriculture  is  but  little  advanced;  but  the  English 
horse  requires  rich,  well-cultivated  meadows  and  grassy- 
valleys. 

As  regards  form,  the  Arab  cross  is  the  surest.  The  sire 
being,  if  I  may  so  speak,  sni  generis^  of  a  confirmed  race, 
and  possessing  for  ages  a  like  shape,  his  get  always  re- 
semble him,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  race,  color,  shape, 
and  derivation,  of  the  dam.  Only,  in  consequence  of  the 
warmth  and  strength  of  his  blood,  the  progeny  is  always 
larger  and  heavier  than  the  sire. 

It  is  not  so  with  the  English  horse.  Made  up,  and  not 
having  the  same  confirmed  nature  as  the  Arab,  he  has  not 
the  same  sureness  in  generating.  Sometimes  his  get  is 
large  and  sometimes  small.  His  progeny  may  be  spare 
or  may  be  stout.  This  comes  from  his  ancestors  being  at 
times  of  one  height  and  at  times  of  another,  and  often 
resembling  different  types. 

We  have  dwelt,  perhaps,  at  too  great  length  upon  our 
preference  for  the  Arab  cross ;  it  now  remains  to  put  it  in 
practice.  The  method  to  be  pursued  in  making  this  cross 
is  simple. 

Having  an  Arabian  of  pure  race,  the  heaviest  and  finest 
bodied  that  can  be  found,  put  him  to  the  heaviest  and 
strongest  short-limbed  mares.  Sell  the  male  produce  of  this 
cross,  unless  it  has  been  a  perfect  success.  Be  Jess  strict 
with  the  fillies,  reject  a  smaller  number,  and  use  the  good 
for  breeding.  As  much  as  their  conformation  will  permit, 
and  in  order  to  fix  the  Arab  blood  in  a  deeper  and  more  in- 
delible manner,  some  choice  specimens  may  be  put  either  to 
their  sire  himself,  or  to  such  of  the  half-brothers  as  should 
have  proved  themselves  the  best.    But  beyond  the  first  trial, 


TUE    PERCHERON   HORSE.  63 

consanguineous  crossings  should  never  again  be  contract- 
ed, except  under  exceedingly  rare  circumstances,  or  under 
great  temptation.  The  dam  of  one  of  tlie  most  justly- 
celebrated  liorses  of  our  times  is  the  result  of  breedins: 
a  stallion  to  his  dam.  From  and  after  the  second 
generation,  colts  and  fillies,  provided  their  merit  had  ren- 
dered them  wortliy  of  being  used  as  producers,  might  be 
taken  as  types,  and  as  a  starting  point  of  a  solid  and  sure 
improvement  of  the  race  of  a  country. 

When,  in  consequence  of  age  and  numerous  generations 
of  his  own  get  growing  up  around  him,  the  common  sire 
might  be  exposed  to  alliances  with  his  grand-children,  it 
would  become  indispensable  to  transfer  him  to  a  distant 
district  by  proceeding  in  the  manner  indicated  above. 

After  such  an  infusion  of  warm  blood  many  years  might 
elapse  without  the  necessity  of  recurring  again  to  Arabian 
stock.  But  if  it  should  be  remarked  that  its  distinctive 
characteristics  commenced  to  disappear  from  the  breed, 
and  the  action  became  less  free  and  light,  it  should  be 
again  resorted  to  immediately,  following  the  same  method 
as  before. 

The  light  draft  types  at  first  obtained,  might,  according 
to  the  districts  in  which  they  are  raised,  be  transformed 
into  the  posting,  omnibus,  and  even  heavy  draft  types. 
But  all  should  be  done  with  time  and  without  haste  nor  even 
wisidng  to  depart  fi"om  a  wise  and  prudent  moderation. 

I  cannot  terminate  this  chapter  without  warning  the 
breeder  against  a  peculiarity  which  hardly  ever  fails  to  strike 
a  person,  who,  for  the  first  time,  makes  a  trial  of  the  Arab 
cross,  and  which  has  even  induced  some  to  abandon  this 
method  without  reaping  its  fruits.  I  desire  to  speak  of  a 
certain  disproportion,  more  apparent  than  real,  of  the  limbs 
with  the  body.  It  is  thus  explained :  The  Arabian,  born 
and  raised  in  a  poor  and  barren  country,  is  no  sooner 
transported  to  a  more  fertile  region,  than  a  certain  fullness 
of  the  body  is  an  immediate  consequence  of  this  change. 


64  THE    PERCHEKON   HOKSE. 

His  progeny,  easily  fattened,  rapidly  become  corpulent. 
It  results  from  this,  that  although  strongly  limbed,  they 
appear,  for  a  large  body,  to  have  but  weak  extremities. 
But  have  patience  ;  oats  will  draw  in  and  strengthen  those 
inflated  flanks,  and,  after  the  second  generation,  the  stom- 
ach of  the  colt  will  enlarge  on  account  of  the  food  being 
more  abundant  than  concentrated,  the  fat  will  disappear, 
and  his  compact  and  solid  limbs  will  appear  what  they 
really  are. 


CHAPTER    YHI. 

THE    ENGLISH    CROSS. 

English  blood,  infused  with  judgment,  allies  well  with 
the  Percheron  race,  and  we  have  met  with  perfectly  suc- 
cessful results  in  the  midst  of  the  disappointments  which 
have  been  the  consequences  of  injudicious  crossing.  Too 
often  these  crossings  have  been  efiected  in  violation  of 
common  sense,  without  any  attention  to  the  distance  which 
separates  the  blood  liorse  from  the  common,  low-bred 
Percheron  mare,  she  having  no  aflinity  with  him.  But 
these  trials  require  science,  wealth,  and  perseverance,  and 
are  fir  from  being  within  the  reach  of  ordinary  breeders. 
Those  who  would  succeed  must  possess  the  talent  of 
w\aiting,  for  unfortunately  the  rearing  of  the  resulting 
progeny  is  a  burden.  Their  slow  development  renders 
them  but  little  fit  for  the  labors  to  which  the  farmer  is  in 
the  habit  of  consigning  his  colts.  Then,  they  cannot, 
like  the  young  Peicheron,  pass  from  hand  to  hand,  and 
thus  they  find  themselves  stripped  of  the  only  advantage 
whi(!h  renders  the  raising  of  the  draft  colts  so  profitable : 
avoiding  embarrassment  and  aflbrding  a  prompt  profit  to 


Mi!,i 


??>•  'im 


THE   PEECHEKON   HORSE.  65 

all  through  whose  hands  they  pass.  In  fact,  it  can  easily 
be  conceived  how  favorably,  at  present,  are  these  chances 
of  profit  distributed  among  several  hands.  The  capital 
invested  is  soon  returned ;  and  thus  this  operation  is  with- 
in the  reach  of  all  purses. 

The  issue  of  English  blood,  if  judiciously  managed,  will 
some  day  be  finer  than  the  unimproved  Percheron.  But, 
although  carefully  looked  after  and  abundantly  fed,  he 
will  remain  puny  during  his  early  growth,  and  therefore 
his  account  can  only  be  closed  at  a  distant  date.  By 
whom,  then,  is  he  to  be  raised?  By  the  firmer  rich  in 
ready  mom^y  ?  In  every  country  such  men  are  rare.  By 
the  large  landed  proprietor?  But  he  is  not  a  breeder,  or 
if  he  be,  it  is  only  of  race-horses. 

Some  half-blood  English  stallions  noted  for  strength  and 
weight,  standing  at  Mesle-sur-Sarthe,  Courtomer,  and 
ISTogent-le-Rotrou,  have  produced  fine  coach  and  draft- 
horses,  but  their  number  has  always  been  rjither  limited, 
and  they  have  nearly  all  been  raised  without  care,  like 
the  half-blood  colt  simply  at  pasture ;  consequently,  the 
profit  accruing  has  been  nothing,  or  nearly  nothing,  and 
these  have  been  able  to  add  nothing  useful  in  the  way 
of  example  and  imitation. 

On  the  contrary,  in  Lower  Perche,  commencing  at 
Xogent  and  extending  as  far  as  Vendome,  the  draft-horse, 
•properly  speaking,  is  the  only  one  that  has  been  raised. 
The  wagon-horse  is  there  only  met  with  as  an  exception, 
and  the  cultivator  is  far  from  being  the  worse  off  on  this 
account.  Witness  the  prosperity  of  3Iontdoubleau,  which 
has  become  the  first  market  of  Europe;  witness  the 
splendid  and  spirited  trotting  mares  it  produces  every 
year,  and  of  which  the  Jul'ies  of  M.  Derre  and  the 
Sarahs  of  M.  Lamoureux  are  glorious  specimens. 

Perche  has  seen  but  twice,  to  our  knowledge,  good  and 
irrefutable  results  obtained  from  the  English  crossing  with 
her  race — the  first,  with  Sandy ;   the  second,  with  Bay- 


66  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

ard,  Sandy  was  a  draft  stallion,  with  a  long  and  silky 
mnne,  a  perfectly  white  coat,  and  with  a  high  and  grace- 
ful gait  like  that  of  an  oriental  horse;  lean  and  strong 
legs,  a  short  head,  dilated  nostrils,  and  a  large  and  mtelli- 
gent  eye.  Although  foaled  in  England,  this  horse  was  ev- 
idently not  English  ;  he  must  have  come  of  eastern  blood, 
as  this  is  so  often  seen  among  our  neighbors  who  success- 
fully use  the  Arab  blood  m  the  formation  of  their  draft 
and  hunting  races. 

As  for  Bayard^  he  was  a  son  of  a  Percheron  mare  be- 
longing to  jM.  Viel,  of  Chiffreville,  near  Argenton,  one 
of  the  finest  and  purest  ever  seen.  This  mare  had  been 
bred  to  Jdcdls,  a  small  and  well-knit  wagon-horse,  son 
of  Don  QuiGhotte,  who  descended  from  the  thorouglibred 
brood-mare  Moina.  Consequently,  Bayard  had  in  his 
veins  some  of  the  best  oriental  blood,  and  it  is  to  this  cir- 
cumstance that  is  attributed  the  vigor,  gait,  and  beauty, 
of  all  his  progeny. 

Perhaps  the  two  stallions  Benvenuto  and  Fandango^ 
whicli  passed  for  Anglo-Percherons,  and  which  have  been 
cited  as  types  of  draft-horse  stallions,  will  be  held  up  to 
me  as  a  refutation.  Benvenuto,  the  stallion  from  Pin, 
whicli  has  produced  well  in  Perche,  was  not  the  son  of 
Easthafin  and  a  Percheron  mare,  as  was  said  at  the  time 
in  order  to  have  him  accepted  by  the  government,  but  was 
really  out  of  a  Percheron  mare  by  a  Percheron  stallion 
coming  from  the  neighborhood  of  Bellesme,  and  the  de- 
scendant of  Arabian  stallions  which  had  been  standing  in 
that  district. 

Fandango^  the  other  crossed  Percheron,  uniformly  a 
successful  stallion,  had  double  cross,  on  the  sire's  side,  of 
the  blood  of  the  Arabian  Bagout^  and  his  dam,  whose 
pedigree  has  also  been  explained  to  me,  came  likewise 
from  near  Bellesme. 

A  Percheron  stallion  called  Jean-le-Blanc^  native  of 
Mauves,  and  sold  about  the  year  1825  to  a  M.  Viard  of 


THE   PEKCHEKOX   HORSE.  67 

Villers,  in  Oiiclie,  near  Sap,  (department  of  the  Orne,)  has 
been  the  sole  improving  agent  of  the  equine  race  in  Ouche, 
which,  uj^  to  that  time,  was;  reduced  to  miserable  small 
horses  without  any  stamp  or  A^al\ie.  Although  heavy, 
powerful,  and,  indeed,  a  shafi-horse,  his  gait  and  an  inde- 
scribable something  2:>erva(ling  his  whole  body,  recalled  so 
thorough!}^  the  idea  of  the  oriental  family  that  one  was 
disposed  to  take  him  for  an  enlarged  Arabian.  This  fact, 
often  related  to  us,  excited  our  curiosity.  We  did  not  rest 
until  pressing  inquiry  uj^on  inquiry,  one  after  another, 
we  ascertained  that  his  f  tmily  had  been  crossed  w^ith  a 
stallion  from  the  Pin  stables,  standing  at  the  Chateau  of 
Coesmes,  near  Bellesme.  And,  what  was  this  stallion  ? 
The  Arab  GallipoU! 

What  can  be  inferred  from  these  facts,  if  it  be  not  that 
the  crossings  which  have  best  succeeded  in  Perche  have 
been  those  of  the  Arab,  and  that  the  English  crosses  have 
only  succeeded  when  tempered  by  contact  with  the  Arab  ? 

But  if  the  absolute  want  of  stallions  for  improving  the 
breed  be  felt  among  the  pure  Percherons ;  if  it  be  impos- 
sible to  procure  either  good  Arabs  or  heavy  English, 
freshly  tempered  Avith  Arab  blood;  if  important  and 
powerful  considerations  compel  a  recourse  to  the  English 
cross,  the  latter  should  only  be  accepted  intelligently  and 
under  good  and  wise  conditions.  Therefore  we  ask  leave 
to  refer  the  reader  particularly  to  what  we  have  already 
advanced  in  the  preceding  chapter  up>on  the  choice  of  an 
English  stallion. 

In  Brittany,  in  the  department  of  Finisterre,  we  have 
often  heard  it  declared  by  quite  a  large  number  of  breed- 
ers, that  for  having  wished  to  proceed  too  fast  in  that  way, 
they  had,  from  the  commencement,  experienced  number- 
less disappointments,  the  second  generation  from  the 
English  cross  being  always  inferior  to  the  first.  From 
stout  sires  and  dams,  who,  from  their  general  appearance 
might  be  classed  in  the  category  of  heavy-draft,  there 


68  THE    PERCHEKON   HORSE. 

daily  came  ungainly  stock,  thin,  lanky,  leggy,  and  without 
weight  in  the  hind-quarter,  unattractive,  of  a  difficult  sale 
when  young,  and  pioving  a  veritable  misfortune  to  the 
small  farmer  counting  upon  the  sale  of  the  colt  to  pay  his 
rent  and  having  neither  the  place  nor  means  to  raise  him. 
This  stock  was,  moreover,  the  object  of  another  disap- 
pointment quite  as  serious  as  th.e  first ;  rarely  was  a  good 
worker  to  be  found  among  this  burdensome  race. 

Is  not  this  tall,  lank,  weak, — in  a  word  this  abortive 
progeny, — issue  of  strong  and  hardy  parents,  a  strange 
and  discouraging  result  ?  "  Oh  !  why  is  this  ?  "  exclaimed 
the  Brittany  cultivators.  There  was  a  simple  reason  for 
it,  of  which  they  had  not  learned  the  value.  They  pro- 
ceeded with  race-horse  speed  in  the  way  of  crossing,  and 
gave  no  oats.  They  were  ignorant  of  the  requirements 
of  the  distingue  horse ;  they  did  not  know  that  in  the 
sire  and  dam,  or  at  least  in  one  of  them,  there  was  circulat- 
ing more  or  less  English  blood,  which  produces  strange 
results  in  proportion  as  it  leaves  its  native  place  and 
reaches  a  poor  country  or  one  of  hard  work,  and  in  which 
it  no  longer  receives  the  prodigal  care  of  its  native  land. 

We  have  said  that  the  Arab  preserves  indefinitely  his 
warm  blood  and  constantly  gives  what  he  has  not  even 
himself, — although  this  truth  resembles  a  paradox, — that 
is :  a  powerful  appearance  and  a  strong  frame.  It  is  jiot 
the  same  with  the  English  horse  and  his  derivatives  ;  they 
become  thin  and  always  degenerate.  If  their  progeny  be 
not  fed  with  oats  without  stint, — they  require  this,  and  are 
heavy  eaters,  like  everything  which  comes  from  the  north, 
— their  blood  grows  poorer  rapidly.  In  successive  genera- 
tions of  these  families,  born  in  a  dull  and  damp  atmos- 
phere scarcely  ever  visited  by  the  sun,  the  legs  become 
lean  and  lanky.  It  is  necessary  to  recur  incessantly  to 
new  drafts  of  English  upon  English,  always  expensive  and 
requiring  additional  care,  without  taking  into  account  that 
the  result  of  too  great  an  infusion  of  this  peevish  and 


THE   PERCHERON   HORSE.  69 

ofion  irascible  blood  would  be  to  destroy  the  heavy-draft 
race — a  race  that  I  would  like  to  see  j^reserved  intact 
alongside  of  the  two  others,  though  he  be  not  quite 
suited  to  a  country  as  hilly  as  Perclie.  lie  might,  doubt- 
less, plow  successfully  the  vast  and  smooth  plains  of 
Beauce ;  but  this  is  not  the  lot  of  all.  I  look  for  him  in 
that  busy  country  called  Perche,  where  he  must,  without 
rest  or  pity,  with  a  shoulder  free  from  all  tenderness,  drag 
heavy  vehicles  to  the  tops  of  hills,  and  it  will  please  me 
to  see  the  play  of  his  haunches  and  limbs  in  descending 
with  these  loads  bravely  and  without  flinching  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  valleys. 

T>o  you  expect,  also,  from  a  horse  derived  from  English 
blood  that  cool,  restrained,  and  ever  fresh  energy,  that 
courageous  patience  of  which  the  Percheron,  every  day, 
gives  an  example  in  the  omnibuses  of  the  streets  of  Paris  ? 
Dragging  at  a  trot  heavy  loads,  the  weight  of  whiclT 
frightens  the  imagination ;  stopping  short,  both  in  ascend- 
ing or  descending;  starting  off  freely  and  always  without 
balking ;  never  sulking  at  his  work  or  food,  and  feaiing 
neither  heat  nor  cold :  this  is  a  specimen  of  Percheron 
qualities. 

Do  you  expect  from  an  unjudicious  cross  with  English 
blood  a  good,  heavy  draft-horse,  a  good  shaft-horse,  or 
a  true  wagon-horse?  No  one  has  now  any  illusion  on 
this  score. 

In  London,  a  traction  of  only  about  2,000  lbs.  is  requir- 
ed of  a  draft-horse.  In  Paris,  the  horses  harnessed  to  the 
heavy  stone  carts  are  required  to  drag  as  much  as  5,000 
lbs.  each,  and  often  even  more. 

What  will  dealers  in  heavy  draft-horses  do  ?  The  trade 
is  already  taxed  to  supply  the  demand.  For  long 
experience  has  taught,  and  unjudicious  crosses  have 
proved  the  English  horse  and  his  derivatives  to  be  unfit 
for  this  purpose,  for  they  are  too  nervous  and  not  suffi- 
ciently staunch.     Thus,  the  trade  avoids  them  by  instinct, 


70  THE  peecheeo:n"  horse. 

and  by  instinct  avoids  every  thing  resembling  them. 
And,  on  tlie  other  hand,  it  seizes  hold  of  and  clings  eagerly 
to  every  indication  that  can  serve  it  as  a  sign  or  mark — • 
every  thing  that  can  guide  it  in  the  search  for  what  it 
likes,  and  every  thing  that  can  guard  against  its  opposite. 
Hence,  it  repels  and  proscribes  the  dark-colored  coats 
without  examination  and  reflection,  because  they  are  con- 
sidered the  colors  of  the  English  horse;  it  accepts  the 
grays  with  confidence,  because  with  them  it  perceives  the 
absence  of  the  dreaded  blood,  and  in  them  it  has  found 
that  wdiich  satisfies  all  its  wants.  Would  we  have  arrived 
at  this  point  if  we  had  been  prudent,  and  had  the  cross- 
breeding been  better  understood  ? 

Finally,  what  is  there  at  the  end  of  this  negative  pole 
and  this  positive  pole  ?  There  is  the  Percheron  on  whom 
has  devolved,  and  will  devolve  for  a  long  time  yet,  the 
rude  and  killing  mission  of  executing  the  feats  of  strength 
exacted  of  him  by  modern  civilization.  The  profits  in  sup- 
plying the  demand,  accrue,  and  w^ill  accrue  for  a  long  time 
to  the  producer. 

Thus  so  long  as  machinery  does  not  replace  the  horse  in 
the  traction  of  heavy  carriages,  so  long  as  the  necessity 
for  hard  labor  remains,  requiring  strength,  intelligence, 
endurance,  and  willingness,  so  long  to  the  Percheron  alone 
will  be  reserved  the  dangerous  honor  of  being  the  great 
draft  power,  and  the  price  of  this  matchless  agent  will  in- 
crease in  proportion  to  the  growing  impossibility  of  find- 
ing his  substitute- 
It  is  now  the  time,  while  crossing  the  active  and  trot- 
ting breeds  with  the  Arab  or  with  the  well-chosen  English 
horse,  to  carefully  preserve  the  heavy  draft-horse,  and,  by 
means  of  persevering  and  judicious  crossing,  retain  for 
him  his  marked  superiority. 

These  crossings,  which  I  will  sum  up  in  concluding,  may 
find  a  powerful  aid  in  the  creation  of  a  Stud-book  of  ih& 
Percheron  breed.  • 


THE   PERCIIERON   HORSE.  71 

CHAPTER    IX. 

IMPROVEMENT    BY    MEANS    OF    THE    STUD-BOOK. 

The  Perclieron  breed  is  old  enough,  is  propagated  with 
sufficient  uniformity,  and  presents  sutKeiently  marked  typi- 
cal qualities  to  authorize  us  in  claiming,  in  favor  of  its 
members,  the  cliaracteristics  and  the  title  of  a  separate 
and  distinct  breed.  Consequently,  a  Stud-book,  recording 
its  pedigrees,  would  not  be  out  of  place.  This  book 
would  have  the  effect  of  concentrathig  the  efforts  of  all 
the  breeders,  giving  them  a  definite  direction,  and  at  the 
same  time  it  would  designate  stallions  foreign  to  the  race, 
and  which,  up  to  the  present  time,  have  been  presented 
with  impunity  as  Perclierons. 

England  exhibits  a  curious  example  of  the  influence  of 
the  Stud-book  in  the  improvement  of  a  breed.  The  equine 
and  bovine  races  of  that  country,  before  the  establishment 
of  the  Stud  and  Herd-books,  were  bnt  rudimental. 

The  small  number  of  colts  of  the  Royal  mares  by  East- 
ern stallions  would  have  been  lost  had  they  not  been 
classed  together  in  fjimilies  in  a  special  book. 

The  discovery  of  the  value  of  the  bull  Huhhadi  would 
have  been  to  no  purpose  had  his  descendants  not  been 
classified  by  themselves  in  an  authentic  manner. 

For  it  is  especially,  and  only,  in  the  reproduction  by 
family  that  a  breed  is  formed.  Consanguinity  alone  can 
form,  in  the  beginning,  a  bond  of  cohesion  and  connection 
among  the  descendants  of  the  primitive  families.  By  it, 
alone,  they  acquire  that  great  similarity  of  shape  and 
adaptation  to  particular  ends,  that  great  ancestral  j^ower, 
which  they  transmit  to  their  posterity,  and  which,  even  in 
a  commercial  point  of  view,  gives  them  a  superior  value. 

If  it  be  permitted  me  for  this  purpose  to  select  an  ex- 
ample within  our  reach  among  the  bovine  races,  I  would 


72  THE   PERCHEM)N"   HORSE. 

say  that,  in  N'ivernais  the  celebrated  Charollaise  breed  of 
cattle,  only  a  few  years  ago,  was  diffuse,  without  uniform- 
ity, and  without  commercial  value.  The  idea  of  classify- 
ing it  by  means  of  a  Herd-book  was  no  sooner  put  in 
practice  than  good  crossings,  being  all  made  with  system, 
no  longer  lost  their  significance.  The  breed  has  visibly 
improved,  and,  at  present,  it  has  acquired  a  value  which 
gives  it  a  rank  immediately  after  the  Cotentin. 

The  Stud-book  might  be  established,  as  we  have  indi- 
cated above,  by  inscribing  therein  all  the  stallions  and 
mares  which  had  received  prizes  for  years  back,  continu- 
ing this  operation  for  a  dozen  years  to  come,  and  adding 
therein  also  the  animals  which  had  not  taken  prizes  or  had 
not  been  shown  in  the  fairs,  but  which  public  attention 
had  classed  among  the  number  of  types  vakiable  on  ac- 
count of  the  beauty  and  sureness  of  their  reproduction. 

Parallel  to  the  mode  of  improvement  which  I  have 
already  shown,  (Chapter  1st,  Part  Second),  and  which  has 
as  its  agents  the  members  of  the  Council-boards  and  the 
district  members  of  each  canton,  there  might  be  formed, 
as  a  means  of  embracing  all,  a  great  annual  Department 
Fair,  to  be  held  alternately  in  the  best  towns  of  Perche  at 
the  time  of  the  fairs  which  attract  the  most  people ;  in 
Orne,  at  Mortagne  and  Alen9on ;  at  Chartres,  Nogent-le- 
Rotrou,  and  Chateaudun,  for  Eure  and  Loir ;  at  Vendome 
and  Montdoubleau  for  the  department  of  Loir  and  Cher. 
The  departments  of  the  Cote-d'Or,  Nievre,  and  Youne, 
which  possess  the  best  Percheron  stallions,  might  likewise 
enter  into  the  association  of  the  Percheron  Stud-book,  lor 
which  they  have  all  the  elements. 

This  book  would  give  increased  value  to  the  breed,  as 
is  easily  understood,  for  it  is  the  surest  of  all  the  means 
of  improvement  and  perpetuation  of  valuable  qualities. 
It  would  drive  off,  forever,  the  defective  stallions,  and 
those  corrupted  with  hereditary  blemishes,  as  well  as  those 
coming  from  tainted  families,  which,  I  feel  sure,  would  be 


THE    PERCHEROX    HORSE.  73 

refused  a  record  in  its  pages.  The  prices  of  colts  would 
likewise  gain  by  this  measure,  the  effect  being  a  powerful 
impulse  given  to  breeding.  But  it  would  be  necessary  to 
be  very  careful  about  ever  admitting  any  foreign  blood,  in 
order  that  the  recorded  herds  might  accumulate  more  and 
more  an  ancestral  force. 

The  Stud-book  would  offer  still  another  advantage,  that 
of  permitting  us  to  find  again  the  good  types,  should 
Perche  some  day,  in  consequence  of  bad  crossings,  or  from 
want  of  judgment,  deviate  from  the  true  way.  In  fact, 
desire  of  gaining  too  much  and  of  enjoying  too  fast  at 
present  tempts  every  body  into  innovations.  Our  age,  so 
eager  to  enjoy,  and  so  quick  in  all  enterprises,  has  no  longer 
the  i^atience  to  wait  for  the  improvements  that  time  and 
study  can  alone  confirm  and  solidly  establish.  It  wants 
things  off-hand,  and  for  this  it  is  often  satisfied  with  adul- 
terated products  ;  hence,  these  injudicious  crossings ;  hence, 
this  mania  for  mixinsr  tosrether  without  discernment — a 
mania  which  threatens  to  destroy  our  valuable  national 
breeds. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this,  the  opposition  of  the  army,  of 
the  government  stud-stables,  and  of  the  trade  in  heavy 
liorses,  bring  forth  new  complications.  The  army,  neither 
occupied  in  breeding  nor  raising,  and  natui-ally  remaining 
beyond  the  consequences  it  causes,  encourages  these  cross- 
ings, obtaining  thereby,  more  rapidly,  the  horses  it  needs. 
But  how  many  of  the  horses  bred  by  these  means  are  not 
only  unfit  for  army  service,  but  also  unfit  for  any  service ! 
Indeed,  with  a  blood  stallion  and  a  common  mare,  if  at 
tlie  first  crossing,  among  the  thin-flanked,  imperfect  ones, 
there  happen  to  be  a  passable  horse,  good,  and  with  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  style,  ordinarily  all  progress  ends  there. 
For,  by  the  use  of  the  latter  as  a  reproducer,  an  animal 
ungainly  and  without  value  will  most  certainly  be  the 
result,  except  by  chance.  The  races  of  the  south  affiliate 
with  the  Arab,  and  those  of  the  north  with  the  English ; 
4 


74  THE    PERCHEKOI?-   HORSE. 

but  tlie  English,  by  the  infusion  of  his  blood,  destroys 
the  race  of  the  south.  This  mode  of  crossing  tends,  then, 
to  cause  our  old  French  races  to  disappear. 

At  the  government  studs,  with  elevated  views,  and  with 
a  disinterestedness  to  which  all  delight  in  rendering  full 
justice  and  homage,  they  constantly  encourage  the  crossings 
in  wliicli  they  see  the  realization  of  their  views.  They  oiFer 
rewards,  the  most  powerful  of  all  incentives — giving  but 
very  modest  prizes  to  the  heavy  horses,  proscribing  the 
light  coats,  and  reserving  their  encouragement  for  the 
light  horses  of  dark  colors. 

As  for  the  trade,  it  adopts  but  slightly  the  views  of  the 
army  and  the  government  stables,  and  it  gives  its  money 
to  what  lias  remained  outside  of  these  impulses. 

With  the  Stud-book  we  will  be  able,  without  giving 
offence,  to  satisfy  the  army,  the  stud-stables,  and  the  trade 
— the  army  and  the  stud-stables,  which  want  the  light, 
stylish,  dark-skinned  liorse  ;  the  trade — omnibuses,  con- 
sumption of  the  large  cities,  and  agriculture — which  requu*e 
weight,  vigor,  action,  honesty,  docility,  and  endurance. 

The  Stud-book  will  furnish  the  means  of  finding  types 
fit  for  all  services.  But  the  breeders  will  divide  them- 
selves into  two  opposite  parties.  Those  who  wish  the 
dark-skinned,  light  horse,  will  breed  him  on  the  uplands 
and  in  the  more  barien  districts.  The  others,  in  the  rich, 
fertile,  and  abundant  meadows,  with  a  more  nutritious 
food,  will  apply  themselves  to  the  opposite  type. 

Each  will  work  in  liis  own  sphere ;  the  profits,  losses, 
successes,  and  failures,  will  soon  be  summed  up,  and 
will  soon  become,  on  both  sides,  the  object  of  minute  com- 
parisons. If  the  light  horse  produce  the  most  profit,  his 
empire  will  soon  extend  ovei"  the  domain  of  the  heavy  one. 

But  if,  on  the  d:iy  of  reaction,  it  be  recognized  that  this 
crossing  is  incapable  of  ever  making  a  good  omnibus,  a 
good  shaft,  or  a  good  team  horse ;  if  the  crossed  breed 
be  Set  aside  for  the  primitive  horse  ;  and  if  it  come  about 


J 


THE    PERCHEROIT   HORSE.  75 

that  the  Perclieroii  of  pure  race  is  better  paid  for,  the 
fashion  will  soon  return  to  him.  There  will  the  utility  of 
the  Stud-book  be  felt,  for  it  will  be  by  means  of  the  fam- 
ilies preserved  nuihentically  pure,  in  the  eantons  which 
had  chosen  them,  that  it  will  alone  become  possible  to  re- 
mold a  race,  compromised  in  a  moment  of  hasty  judg- 
ment, and  render  it  plentiful  upon  the  market. 

It  would  suffice  to  bring  together  these  types,  and  en- 
courage the  start  in  order  to  reestablish  Perche  in  all  her 
glory.  They  might  even,  in  the  .end,  bring  back  to  a 
good  condition  the  lanky  race  that  a  better  system,  a  more 
abundant  nourishment,  and  more  appropriate  classification, 
would  be  called  on  to  restore  to  its  primitive  form.  Some 
generations  would  suffice  to  restore  to  it  that  homoge- 
neousness  that  it  formerly  possessed,  when  the  post-service 
required  of  it  its  vigorous  and  swift  mail-coach  horses. 

In  summing  up,  the  Stud-book  seems  to  me  a  useful 
agent  in  a  triple  point  of  view,  namely :  in  the  preserva- 
tion, perfection,  and  restoration  of  the  Percheron  breed. 


EECAPITULATIOK 

Preserve  the  Percheron  race  as  pure  as  possible  from 
all  mixture  not  perfectly  homogeneous  ;  respect  all  its  va- 
rieties due  to  the  districts  where  they  have  been  bred  and 
raised  ;  improve  by  crossing  the  best  types  of  the  country, 
and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  correct  defects,  while  preserv- 
ing intact  qualities  and  character. 

If  it  be  necessary  to  give  more  style  to  the  action,  and 
more  richness  to  the  blood,  ask  these  qualities  of  the  Arab, 
which  has  the  privilege  of  imparting  style  and  tone,  while 
preserving  weight,  hardihood,  vigor,  and  docility.  The 
Arabian  is  kiud,  intelligent,  reliable,  laborious,  and  easily 
kept. 


76  THE   PEECHEEON   HOKSE. 

If,  in  obedience  to  urgent  considerations,  and  in  the  ab- 
sence of  oriental  horses,  it  becomes  necessary  to  have  re- 
course to  English  blood,  choose  quarter-bred  stallions — 
at  the  most  half-bred — but  of  an  ancient  race,  and  well- 
confirmed,  with  a  well-opened  and  expressive  eye,  fine  ac- 
tion, high  spirit,  and  especially  a  total  absence  of  irrita- 
bility, and  with  all  the  appearances  of  honesty  and  apti- 
tude for  work. 

For  the  innate  defects  of  the  English,  generally  impres- 
sible, susceptible,  and  unintelligent,  cannot  be  too  carefully 
guarded  against.  Delicate,  a  great  eater,  and  requiring 
great  care,  he  must,  if  honest,  be  well  worked;  if  not,  he 
pays  ill  his  cost,  and  robs  the  hand  which  nourishes  him. 
He  should  always  be  selected  from  a  working  family,  and 
be  himself  a  free  worker.  He  who  wishes  to  embark  in 
horse-breeding  will  avoid  more  than  one  shoal  by  observ- 
ing these  simple  considerations. 

The  delicate  English  horse,  fond  of  his  manger,  bearing 
but  little  continuous  and  monotonous  work,  requiring  of 
those  that  have  charge  of  him  tact,  mildness,  and  an  ad- 
vanced equestrian  education,  is  the  horse  of  the  rich  man, 
and  the  man  of  pleasure,  of  the  lover  of  the  turf  and  chase, 
and  of  the  wealthy  farmer,  who  looks  more  to  the  beauty 
of  his  stock  than  to  the  quantity  of  its  work. 

The  Arabian,  sober,  energetic,  and  laborious,  is  the  horse 
for  the  small  proprietor,  the  soldier,  and  the  laborer.  He 
is  the  wealth  of  the  poorer  and  less  improved  countries. 

The  draft-horse  is  only  suited  to  the  farmer,  and  his  size 
should  be  adapted  not  only  to  the  district  in  which  he  is 
to  be  used,  but  also  to  the  standard  of  cultivation  of  the 
country,  and  to  the  means  of  the  person  requiring  his 
services.  He  may  be  improved,  may  be  a  trotter,  and 
may  be  more  stylish,  but  should  always  be  adapted  to  the 
means  of  the  breeder,  and  to  the  richness  of  the  country. 
A  large  and  fine  animal  would  only  vegetate  in  the  hands 
of  a  person  whose  land  is  scarcely  sufiicient  to  support  his 


J 


THE    PERCHERON   HORSE.  77 

family.  He  should  only  be  owned  l)y  the  wealtliy  farmer. 
And,  on  the  other  side,  the  latter  should  never  raise  his 
eyes  to  the  blood  horse,  wliich  should  be  left  to  those  who 
have  been  a  long  time  accustomed  to  the  risks  inseparable 
from  his  breeding  and  training. 

A  final  word  will  make  my  tlioughts  better  understood. 

I  desire  to  speak  of  the  financial  question,  which  is 
every  thing  in  breeding  and  in  agriculture.  The  best  and 
tlie  only  manner  of  considering  this  is  to  compare  the 
breeder  at  the  start,  at  the  beginning  of  his  career,  and 
when  his  career  is  ended,  to  verify  the  results.  This  opera- 
tion is  nothing  short  of  a  settlement  of  accounts. 

In  my  travels  I  became  acquainted  with  two  neighbor- 
ing districts.  One  was  rich,  fertile,  and  productive,  emi- 
nently suited  to  breeding  superior  fancy  horses.  But 
they  were  poorly  raised  therein ;  the  farmers  disdained 
rearing  horses  suited  to  the  soil,  and  the  horses  they  did 
breed,  already  bad  from  the  very  start,  were  raised  in  idle- 
ness, and  poorly  fed,  on  account  of  their  earning  nothing. 
The  other  district  was  poor,  and  the  soil  produced  only 
what  could  be  wrested  from  it  by  force.  However,  by 
dint  of  labor,  agriculture  flourished.  The  horse,  chosen  with 
care,  suited  the  country,  worked  well,  and  all  prospered. 

The  fancy  struck  me,  to  compare  the  settlements  of 
estates  in  these  two  districts,  and  here  are  the  results  of 
this  examination : 

In  the  first  district,  the  breeders  all  commenced  and  en- 
tered u])on  their  career  with  capital.  Notwithstanding 
this,  18  out  of  20  died  over  head  and  ears  in  debt. 

In  the  second,  they  were  almost  all  former  servants  or 
farm  hands,  possessing  only  their  savings,  with  which  to 
establish  themselves.  In  spite  of  these  difficult  begin- 
nings, 17  out  of  20  left  fortunes  to  their  children,  who,  the 
reverse  of  the  children  of  the  former,  were  early  accustom- 
ed to  labor  and  to  a  regular  life.  It  is  useless  to  say  that 
in  these   examples  I  always   excepted  the   cases  where 


78  THE    PERCHEROIS'   HOESE. 

trade,  to  carry  on  its  business,  sheltered  itself  under  the 
cloak  of  the  breeder  ;  for  this  does  not  constitute  breed- 
ing any  more  than  the  trade  in  bread-stuffs  carried  on  ia 
a  farm-house  constitutes  agriculture. 

Finally  I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  Percheron  farmer 
to  two  suggestions.  Suppose  the  supply  of  horses  from 
the  de2)artments  of  Orne,  Eure  and  Loir,  Loir  and  Cher, 
Eure  and  Sarthe,  and  from  the  district  of  Mortagne, 
now  amounting  to  about  sixty  thousand  head,  should 
outrun  the  demand  of  the  omnibuses  and  wagons ;  the 
remedy  for  this  would  be  to  aim  at  greater  style  and 
beauty,  at  the  same  time  preserving  the  qualities  required 
by  the  omnibuses  and  express  companies.  We  would 
thus  create  another  outlet  for  our  stock,  through  the  de- 
mands of  the  dealers  in  fancy  horses,  and  the  consumption 
of  the  army,  and  bring  the  Percheron  race  very  near  to 
perfection. 

No  disappointment  need  be  feared  in  crossing  the  Per- 
cheron with  a  foreign  stallion,  either  a  heavy  Arabian,  a 
strong,  well-bred  Merlerault,  or  a  dark  colored  Norfolk, 
on  the  express  condition  that  this  stallion  should  be  select- 
ed with  care,  and  be  of  the  best  stock  of  his  breed.  The 
Arabian  can  be  placed  everywhere,  both  on  poor  land  and 
in  the  hilly  districts ;  where  the  progeny  of  the  other 
stallions  would  not  thrive,  his  will  succeed  well.  The  get 
of  the  Merlerault,  and  of  the  English  horses  especially,  re- 
quire the  most  fertile  and  the  best  cultivated  districts. 

If  the  results  of  these  crossings,  male  or  female,  be  suc- 
cessful, they  may  be  well  employed  in  breeding,  and,  after 
some  generations,  in  the  districts  where  breeding  is  carried 
on  with  care,  they  may  become  the  starling  point  of  a 
choice  stock.  Commencing  with  the  qualities  of  good 
and  substantial  post-horses,  the  Percheron  could  be  elevat- 
ed to  the  dignity  of  the  carriage-horse,  and  in  other  less 
fertile  localities  to  staunch  and  compact  hunters. 

Those   showing  no  improvement,  (too  many  of  which 


TIIE   PERCHERON    HORSE.  79 

are  met  with)  would  find  a  market  open  to  them  in  the 
trade,  among  the  moderately  rich,  and  in  the  army, 
especially  in  the  artillery.  The  males,  when  castrated 
at  an  early  age,  would  be  more  acceptable  to  the  trade, 
and,  while  ceasing  to  dishonor  the  privileged  class  and 
the  class  destined  for  reproduction,  could  be  used  for 
numerous  purposes.  For  the  gray  horse  the  outlets  are 
necessarily  more  limited.  "When  the  omnibuses  and 
teamsters  have  taken  their  complement  of  6,000  or  7,000 
horses,  and  when  the  foreigner  has  gathered  up  his  600  or 
700  choice  specimens,  there  no  longer  remains  a  sufficient 
demand  for  the  second-rate  stock. 

As  there  now  exist  neitlier  diligences,  couriers,  mail 
nor  post-coaches,  for  which  the  gray  Percheron  was  for- 
merly required  for  the  niglit  road  service,  there  is  no  longer 
any  imperious  reason  for  preserving  his  old  coat ;  hence- 
forth he  may  be  bay  or  dark  colored.  And,  provided  he 
becomes  so  by  the  aid  of  a  dark-coated  Arabian,  or  a  heavy, 
well-bred  Merlerault,  or  by  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Norfolk, 
the  type  of  his  race,  I  see  therein  no  inconvenience. 

When  steam  machines,  to  supply  the  hands  which  are 
wanting,  will  plow  our  fields  and  perform  the  hardest 
work,  we  will  have  no  longer  to  regret  that  our  Percheron 
laborers  have  not  the  gray  color  which  possessed  the 
property  of  turning  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun.  One 
of  our  greatest  writers,  one  of  our  lights  in  equestrian 
science,  has,  however,  wiitten : 

"  The  use  of  stallions  of  mixed  blood,  borrowed  from 
foreign  races,  left  but  regrets  in  Perche.  It  has  pro- 
duced vices  of  disposition  and  blemishes  which  did  not 
belong  to  the  Percheron  horse,  and  has  given  him  in  ex* 
change  no  good  quality.  It  has  disturbed  the  stnicture 
of  the  progeny  without  any  gain  in  form  or  endurance." 

Notwithstanding  all  my  respect  for  this  high  authority, 
let  me  be  allow^ed  to  ask  him  if  he  has  ever  seen  the 
progeny,  too  rare  it  is  true,  of  some  well-chosen  stallions 


80  THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 

in  close  affinity  to  Percheron  blood,  called  GalllpoU^ 
Sandy ^  and  Bayard?  Never  did  finer  results  gratify  the 
pride  of  a  breeder,  never  did  trotters  drag  heavy  diligences 
with  more  power  and  ease,  and  never  did  sons  transmit 
more  faithfully  to  their  descendants  the  image  and  charac- 
ters of  their  ancestors.  Doubtless  he  was  only  shown  the 
numerous  and  heterogeneous  progeny  of  even  the  best  full- 
blooded  stallions  Sylvio^  Eylau^  Meveller^  and  others  by 
Percheron  mares — crossings  so  surprising  in  their  absence 
of  affinity  that  I  am  still  astonished  that  the  thought  of 
them  ever  entered  a  reasonable  mind. 

When  in  the  absence  of  stallions  of  our  own,  such  as 
we  wish,  I  advise  the  use  of  foreign  ones,  I  do  not  give 
this  counsel  blindly,  but,  select  the  types  appearing  to  me 
the  best  adapted  to  the  purpose,  and  instead  of  proceeding 
with  giant  strides  I  w^ould  pursue  the  work  with  a  patient 
and  prudent  slowness. 


PART   III 


L\F0R3IAT10N    TO    STRANGERS    WISHING  TO   BUY 
PERCHERON   HORSES. 


Although  I  consider  Perche  an  exceptional  country  for 
the  production  of  good  horses,  I  attribute  to  its  air,  to  its 
water,  and  to  the  nutritiveness  of  its  grasses,  the  admirable 
qualities  of  the  animals  bred  therein.  I  am  convinced  that 
the  excellent  care,  the  wise  management,  exempt  alike 
from  pampering  indulgence  and  from  the  harsh  treatment 
which  irritate  the  disposition,  and  from  which  the  good 
teacher  never  departs  in  his  intercourse  with  his  pupils, 
contribute  a  great  deal  to  the  success  of  the  result.  Start- 
ing from  this  point,  I  think  I  can  assert  that  with  care 
and  this  identical  management,  horses  can  be  elsewhere 
produced  that  Perche  would  not  disown.  It  is,  then,  the 
recapitulation  of  this  method  and  management  which 
should  be  presented  to  the  stranger  desirous  of  raising 
the  Percheron  horse.  I  will  tell  him  what  the  cultivator 
of  this  country  does,  and  in  doing  like  him,  provided  he 
make  the  attempt  in  a  high,  healthy  district,  a  district 
with  a  sharp  air  and  one  often  refreshed  by  winds,  present- 
ing some  analogy  to  the  rugged  hills  and  the  excellent 
grassy  valleys  of  Perche,  no  doubt  he  will  arrive  at  magnif- 
icent results.  Several  suppositions  may  be  presented  to 
the  consideration  of  the  stranger  wishing  to  raise  Perche- 
ron horses.  Either  he  should  buy  in  Perche  a  mare  in 
81  4=^ 


82  THE    PEKCHEBON   HOESE. 

foal,  or  purchase  four  or  five  months'  old  colts,  which  he 
wishes  to  wean  in  his  own  country,  or  his  purchases  will 
be  made  of  yearlings,  or,  finally,  he  will  carry  with  him 
full-grown  males  and  females,  or  only  one  or  the  other 
sex  for  the  purpose  of  breeding. 

Each  one  of  these  suppositions  can  be  determined  by  the 
practical  knowledge  of  breeding,  and  by  the  study  of  the 
methods  practised  in  Perclie,  and  may  suggest  as  many 
chapters.  But,  before  undertaking  anything,  I  will  ask  this 
amateur  if  he  really  loves  the  horse,  and  if  he  admits  the 
qualities  needed  in  thePercheron  breeder.  If  he  answers 
in  the  afiirmative,  I  will  enter  upon  the  subject.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  he  be  not  sure  of  himself  and  of  the  agents 
that  he  is  to  employ,  I  might  as  well  throw  aside  my  pen 
and  not  write  another  word. 

The  disposition  of  the  Percheron  breeder  towards  his 
horses  is  that  of  a  never-changing  mildness ;  and  this  is 
why  his  horse  is  so  gentle  and  so  docile.  The  Percheron 
loves  his  horse,  but  not  with  an  affection  resembling  that 
hearty  passion,  that  sudden  blaze  of  regard,  too  explosive 
to  last  long,  of  certain  amateurs ;  he  loves  the  horse  with 
an  hereditary  love,  a  family  love,  if  I  may  so  express  it, 
and  the  horse,  on  his  side,  loves  him  hereditarily.  The 
women  and  children  have  generally  the  care  of  the  horse 
while  the  men  are  in  the  fields.  Hence  the  even  and  ami- 
able temper, of  the  horses  raised  under  this  system.  The 
Percheron  cultivator  possesses,  above  all,  great  patience 
and  a  supreme  control  over  himself,  indispensable  qualities 
in  training  young  colts,  which,  if  treated  with  harsh- 
ness would  soon  lose  their  heads,  and  become  inf  dlibly 
nervously  timid  if  subjected  to  violence  and  impatience. 
Here  lies  the  secret  of  good  training  and  the  art  of  uniting 
in  the  horse  a  cool  and  calm  temper  with  a  decided 
character.  He  is  laborious  and  loves  to  stir  the  soil ;  hence 
his  practice  of  early  working  the  colts,  which  renders 
them  laborious  and  honest.     But,  as  he  is,  above  all,  in- 


THE   PEECHERON    HOKSE.  83 

telligent  and  loves  in  a  rational  way,  he  only  requires  of 
them  work  in  proportion  to  their  strength,  and  gives  them 
good  nourit^hment.  This  management,  miiting  work 
and  o-ood  food,  is  an  admirable  means  of  rrivingr  strenoftli, 
health,  and  a  good  constitution.  Finally,  the  Percheron 
inliabits  a  broken  country,  where  he  must  constantly 
ascend  and  descend.  This  circumstance  is  most  favorable 
in  giving  strength  and  suppleness  to  his  shoulders, 
haunches,  and  hoofs,  which,  by  turns,  work  and  rest  in  this 
unparalleled  district. 

This  portrait  is  not  only  applicable  to  the  large  proprie- 
tors and  to  the  farmers,  but  to  all  the  Percheron  popu- 
lation. There  is  not  a  man  in  this  district  who  has  not 
been  a  working  man,  who  has  not  raised,  trained,  and 
driven  colts,  and  who,  even  in  his  tenderest  age,  when  he 
could  walk  and  hold  a  little  whip,  has  not  lived  among 
the  horses  and  played  between  their  legs.  It  requires  no 
searching  here  to  find  a  man  acquainted  with  the  horse,  a 
good  firm  hand  ;  the  first  face  you  meet  with  is  that  of 
an  intelligent  agent,  and  a  trustworthy  one  in  the  difficult 
art  of  training  colts. 

If  you  have  such  men  at  your  disposal,  undertake  boldly 
your  task;  but  if  the  proper  men  are  wanting,  forbear, 
for  you  will  arrive  at  nothing  satisfactory. 


CHAPTER    I. 

FOOD    AND    BREEDING. 

The  stallion,  in  the  districts  inhabited  by  mares,  is,  with 
some  rare  exceptions,  a  "  rover," — that  is  to  say,  he  visits 
the  farms  at  stated  periods.  His  standing  season  lasts  six 
months,  from  January  to  July,  and  he  generally  returns 


84  THE  PERCH EROX  HORSE. 

four  times  to  the  same  place.  The  foal  is  dropped,  ordi- 
narily, very  early,  and  always  in  the  stable,  where  it  con- 
stantly remains  until  weaning  time.  The  dam  goes  to 
work  every  day,  and  leaves  its  foal  each  morning,  to  see  it 
again  only  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  at  night.  Green 
clover,  or  other  green  forage,  is  fed,  to  keep  up  her  sup- 
ply of  milk. 

At  six  months  the  colt  is  weaned.  If  it  be  a  filly,  it  re- 
mains in  the  canton  where  it  was  foaled,  to  be  put  to 
breeding  when  it  reaches  the  proper  age.  If  it  be  a  horse 
colt,  it  is  sold  to  the  farmers  of  the  raising  districts,  of 
which  we  will  speak  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  trade. 

The  stock  of  these  districts  is  recruited  from  two 
sources,  the  southern  region  principally,  (in  the  vicinity 
of  Montdoubleau  and  Chateaudun,)  on  account  of  the 
great  reputation  of  its  mares.  The  cultivator  desirous 
of  rearing  good  colts  traverses  these  districts  as  early  as 
the  month  of  June,  and  makes  his  choice  of  colts  from 
under  the  dams,  and  out  of  herds  of  established  reputation. 
This  manner  of  selecting  stock  to  raise  is  the  most  logical, 
as  also  the  most  expensive.  It  is  much  in  favor  with  the 
farmer  carrying  on  a  large  business,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Mauves  and  Regmalard.  Some  cultivators  of  the  other 
cantons  follow  his  example ;  but  not  so  rich  as  he,  they 
have  but  the  second  choice. 

The  second  source,  and  the  most  abundant,  is  the  pur- 
chase of  gang  colts — that  is  to  say,  those  which,  in  Perche, 
have  not  been  sold  during  the  summer ;  but  principally 
those  from  the  neighborhood  of  Coulie,  to  the  north-west 
of  Mans,  and  those  of  Lower  Maine.  They  are  brought, 
entirely  Aveaned,  to  the  fairs  of  Perche  about  the  end  of 
autumn.  St.  Andrew's  fair  at  Mortagne  offers  a  curious 
specimen  of  this  operation.  The  farmers  select  from 
the  gangs.  The  origin,  in  this  case,  is  no  longer  of  any 
account ;  there  is  neither  sire  nor  dam  to  weigh  down  the 
scales ;  the  merit  is  all  exterior — of  the  individual.     If  this 


THE    PEECHEEON    HOESE.  85 

way  of  buying  be  not  so  dear,  it  is  likewise  not  so  sure, 
unless  the  purchaser  be  acquainted  with  honest  dealers, 
accustomed  to  bring  in  only  good  colts. 

There  is  but  little  trouble  taken  in  weaning  the  colts. 
This  passage  from  one  period  of  life  to  another,  always 
so  serious  with  thoroughbred  colts,  takes  place  quite  sim- 
ply with  the  future  field  laborers.  They  wean  themselves 
in  the  trip  from  their  birthplace  to  their  new  destination. 
The  farmers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rcgmalard,  who 
ordinarily  buy  them  very  young,  give  a  little  cow's  milk 
on  their  airival,  to  sti-engthen  them,  and  to  serve  as  a 
transition ;  but  even  this  method  is  far  from  universal. 

The  colts,  w^hen  they  come  upon  the  farms,  are  put  five 
or  six  together,  pell-mell,  into  an  indifferently  ventilated 
stable,  which  receives  its  light  through  a  lattice  door. 
Their  nourishment  consists  of  a  very  thin  mush,  made  of 
bailey  flour  and  bran,  frequently  renewed.  The  solid 
portion  of  their  food  is  composed  of  dry  clover  and  hay, 
with  which  their  cribs  are  regularly  filled. 

Some  farmei-s  feed  aftermath,  which  is  sweeter ;  but  as 
this  is  apt  to  load  the  stomach,  in  order  to  render  it  more 
easily  digested,  it  is  mixed  with  oat-straw. 

It  is  very  rare  that  these  colts,  changed  from  one  district 
to  anotber,  often  making  long  stages,  and  exposed  to  the  in- 
clemencies of  the  weather,  are  not  attacked  with  strangles. 
Many  raisers  at  this  period  have  the  pernicious  habit  of 
givhig  them  some  kind  of  grain,  in  order  to  warm  them  up, 
and  cause  them  to  throw  otf  the  disease.  But  this  food 
has  the  fault  of  thickening  the  blood  too  much,  and  ex- 
poses them  to  numerous  aihnents. 

This  diet  is  continued  until  tlie  spring,  at  which  time 
the  colts  are  given  green  fodder  in  the  stable.  Later, 
they  are  turned  into  the  clover  fields  after  the  first  cut,  or 
into  the  meadows  after  they  are  mowed. 

At  eighteen  months  they  commence  their  apprentice- 
ship ;  passing  tlieir  necks  through  the  collar,  they  are  bar- 


86  THE   PEKCHEKON   HOKSE. 

nessecl  to  plows  or  wagons  with  horses  already  broken, 
although  of  an  age  at  which,  in  many  countries,  their 
equals  are  as  yet  ignorant  of  all  labor.  The  food,  com- 
posed of  clover  principally,  hay,  millet  straw,  corn  salad, 
{Feticus^  and  cracked  rye,  baked  in  loaves,  becomes 
from  this  time  forth,  a  little  more  nourishing.  They  also 
commence  to  eat  oats,  but  as  yet,  sparingly.  This  is  not 
given  them  pure,  but  with  the  chaff — that  is  to  say,  it  is 
not  winnowed.  The  quantity  of  tliis  food  used  by  day 
is  not  less  than  1|-  to  If  gallons,  yielding  not  much  more 
than  ^  of  a  gallon  of  oats.  On  the  other  hand,  the  meal 
and  the  mush  are  increased,  to  give  them  body  and  strength. 
At  thirty  months  old  they  are  still  kept  upon  this  food, 
in  the  midst  of  all  the  farm  work,  which  they  daily  per- 
form (with,  however,  a  great  deal  of  moderation),  and  in 
dragging  very  light  burdens ;  for,  truly,  it  is  but  a  train- 
ing, to  confirm  the  hereditary  mildness  of  their  character, 
and  to  teach  them,  little  by  little,  to  become  willing  and 
fearless. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  dealer,  who  roams  constantly 
about  among  the  farms,  arrives.  He  buys  and  resells  im- 
mediately to  the  farmers  of  Little  Perche  and  Thimerais. 
More  stimulating  feed  is  given  them,  in  consequence  of 
more  constant  and  harder  work.  This  life  lasts  a  year, 
and  is  terminated  by  the  passage  into  Beauce,  or  the  Char- 
tres  country,  where  their  work  is  again  increased.  With 
the  work  the  feed  increases,  and  this  combination  leads  to 
the  perfection  of  the  horse. 

It  is  at  this  time  that  the  horses,  having  attained  their 
maturity,  and  the  maximum  of  their  strength,  are  bought 
for  Paris,  whither  they  are  called  by  relentless  labor,  which 
they  are  enabled  to  endure  by  their  unconquerable  will, 
great  muscular  force,  energy,  and  courage. 

"  This  mode  of  training,"  to  borrow  the  words  of  a 
noted  breeder,  "  represents  the  division  of  labor,  which 
gives  such  happy  results  in  the  manufactories,  and  its  ad- 


THE   PERCHEEON   HOESE.  87 

vantages  cannot  be  well  appreciated,  except  by  those 
who,  having  raised  horses,  know  what  embarrassment  an 
assemblage  of  colts  of  all  sizes  and  ages  produces.  Un- 
fortunately it  would  be  very  difficult  to  introduce  this 
excellent  custom  elsewhere,  which  has  probably  existed 
for  ages  in  Perche  without  the  knowledge  of  its  source." 

The  colts  destined  for  breeding  are  generally  devoted  to 
this  purpose  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and  continue,  on 
an  average,  until  they  have  attained  the  age  of  four.  I 
speak  of  Little  Perche,  for  in  Great  Perche,  since  the 
foundation  of  the  Equestrian  Society,  the  seat  of  which  is 
at  Chateaudun,  and  which  extends  its  action  to  quite  a 
distance,  the  covering  is  done  by  adult  stallions.  At  four, 
they  are  sold  either  to  Paris,  or  to  foreigners,  should  their 
merit  render  them  worthy  of  such  a  choice. 

This  total  emigration  of  the  male  colts  at  the  age  of 
six  months,  renders  it  very  difficult  to  procure  good  stal- 
lions of  this  breed.  From  Great  Perche  they  are  scattered 
among  the  trade,  often  before  the  age  of  a  sure  selection. 
"When  they  are  sought  after  in  Perche,  they  are  no  longer 
to  be  found  ;  they  must  then  be  followed  and  hunted  up 
on  the  Beauce  farms,  and  this  pursuit  is  extremely  difficult. 
It,  however,  offers  greater  chances  of  success  than  the 
Chartres  market,  where  the  greatest  number  of  mature 
Percheron  horses  are  to  be  found. 

As  for  the  fillies,  their  experience  is  the  same  as  that  of 
the  colts,  with  this  single  difference  that  their  life  is 
exempt  from  migration.  They  are  raised  in  the  region 
in  which  they  are  foaled.  They  work  from  a  very  early 
period,  bear  two  or  three  colts,  and  then  disappear, 
like  the  males,  in  the  vortex  of  consumption.  For, 
beyond  some  exceptional  cases  and  remarkable  pro- 
ductions, it  is  rare  that  they  groAV  old  upon  the  farm. 
The  farmer,  in  order  to  lose  nothing  of  their  value,  senr's 
them  off"  at  the  age  of  five,  six,  and  seven  years.  It  would 
be  a  happy  thing,  as  we  have  already  said,  if  sufficient  in- 


88  THE    PEECHEEON    HOESE. 

dncements  in  the  way  of  prizes  could  be  oiFered  to  retain 
the  fine  breeding  mares  upon  the  soil,  and  put  an  end  to 
this  custom,  so  inimical  to  progress. 

The  farmers  who  have  pasture  grounds,  as  in  the  en- 
virons of  Regmalard,  make  use  of  them  for  raising  their 
colts,  as  is  done  in  Merlerault  and  in  the  Auge  Valley. 
Instead  of  letting  them  loose  in  the  fields,  they  are  sent 
to  pasture. 

The  hay  of  the  valleys  is  good,  but  insufiicient  for  the 
supply  of  the  farms ;  the  deficit  is  made  up  by  the  use  of 
artificial  fodders,  in  which  clover  enters  for  three-quarters ; 
the  remainder  is  composed  of  fenugreek,  lucern,  and  some 
roots.  Millet,  or  barley  and  oat  straw  are  also  given 
as  food,  and  in  certain  cantons  they  are  stacked  in  alter- 
nate layers  with  the  meadow  grass,  in  order  to  give  them 
the  odor  and  fragrance  of  hay — an  ingenious  method  of 
making  an  unattractive  food  acceptable. 

The  stables,  although  much  better  than  formerly,  in  the 
good  old  times  of  the  race,  still  leave  a  great  deal  to  be 
desired.  They  are  not  furnished  with  stalls,  but  the 
horses  are  tied  alongside  of  one  another  witliout  any 
separation.  But  such  is  the  gentleness  of  character  of 
this  breed  that  an  accident  was  never  heard  of. 

The  whole  of  the  management  which  we  have  just  de- 
scribed has  a  marked  tendency  towards  constantly  en- 
larging the  horse  at  the  expense  of  his  nervous  system. 

This  diet,  completely  out  of  place  in  a  mild,  grain  pro- 
ducing country,  has  reason  for  existing  in  Perche,  and  the 
Percheron  cultivator  knows  too  well  what  he  does  in  em- 
ployinor  it,  not  to  have  understood  this.  The  climate  and 
the  products  of  Pei'che,  the  air  and  the  water,  afiect  too 
exclusively  the  nervous  system  not  to  require  being  con- 
stantly combatted. 

For  this  I  desire  to  take  an  example  in  the  whole  animd 
kingdom  stocking  this  country.  Everybody  to-day  well 
knows  the  influence  of  climate   upon  atdmals.     No   one 


THE   PEECHERON   HOESE.  89 

now  any  longer  doubts  that  it  is  to  the  sliarp  and  healthy 
air  of  the  Percheron  country,  to  its  elevated  hills,  and  to 
its  atmospliere  constantly  renewed  by  the  powerful  ven- 
tilators of  its  valleys  and  forests,  that  this  country  owes 
tlie  eminent  qualities  of  its  fine  race  of  horses,  which  has 
won  for  it  the  right  of  displaying  this  significant  title  : 
*'  Perche,  the  land  of  good  horses."  Everything  surround- 
ing us  inclines  us  to  adopt  this  opinion.  The  domestic 
animals  brought  here  are  transformed  in  a  short  time  by 
the  contact  of  the  air  breathed  and  the  nourishment 
furnislied.  The  marked  types  of  the  Billot  and  Creve- 
cceur  fowls  are  no  sooner  brought  here  than  at  the  first 
generation  a  total  change  is  effected  in  tlieir  looks.  From 
the  second  generation  it  is  difficult  to  recognize  them  in 
the  thin,  lean,  and  nervously  fojmed  fowl,  with  a  wild 
look,  and  always  ready  to  take  wing. 

The  bovine  race  of  Perche  is  also  far  inferior  to  the  im- 
proved race.  It  is  the  opposite  of  the  kind  prized  nowa- 
days, the  race  which  is  mild,  lymphatic,  and  short-legged, 
always  inclined  to  fit,  and  having  in  its  bony  frame  only 
just  enough  to  serve  it  for  its  locomotion,  forming  a 
quadrilateral  of  flesh,  mounted  on  four  small  legs,  a  rump 
bending  with  its  havmches,  a  broad,  smooth  back,  and  a 
low  brisket.  Its  horns,  which  are  seemingly  useless  in  a 
country  from  which  man  has  driven  out  the  wild  beasts, 
fall  overlapping  one  another,  like  a  useless  ornament,  upon 
the  hea«l. 

Such  is  not  the  Percheron  breed  of  cattle  ;  on  the  con- 
trary it  is  dry  and  bony,  of  a  nervous  temperament,  long 
legs,  angular  haunches,  contracted  chest,  lank  thigh,and  thin 
neck,  with  a  long,  thin  head.  Two  long  horns  of  a  greenish- 
white  stand  up  in  the  air,  always  threatening  as  in  a  savage 
country,  infested  with  dangerous  animals.  An  expressive 
word  designates  them  fully  :  a  cattle  dealer  will  tell  you 
they  are  "s^a^^y,"  and  will  pass  on  without  bestowing  upon 
them  a  glance.     They  are  hardly  fit  for  quick  fattening, 


90  THE   PERCHERON   HORSE. 

and  are  recognized  without  trouble  by  tbeir  color,  which 
in  terms  of  the  trade  is  said  to  be  "  a  little  weah^''  and  by 
their  skin,  which  is  dry  and  harsh.  The  dealers  appro- 
priately express  their  condition  by  '''•no  good  points.'''' 
The  bulls,  especially,  are  tough,  with  big  horns,  bony  limbs, 
large  joints,  an  ugly  head,  and  the  wliole  difficult  to  fatten, 
which  well  entitles  them  to  the  full  application  of  the 
epithet  "  boorish  beasts,''^  invented  to  express  animals  of 
inferior  quality. 

It  is  in  vain  that  Maine,  the  district  which  joins  it,  has 
given  to  Perche  its  race  of  cattle  ;  they  have  degenerated, 
have  become  taller,  Lmker,  less  easy  to  fatten,  and  have  pre- 
served no  trace  of  the  fine  head  and  the  good  fore-quarters 
that  are  to  be  found  in  Maine.  In  vain  has  Normandy  pour- 
ed out  a  generous  blood.  The  Norman  type  hardly 
appears ;  it  is  degenerated  and  entirely  loses  the  agree- 
able color,  fine  head,  good  limbs,  white  horns,  and  other 
good  points. 

For  several  years,  the  fashion  of  crossing  with  the 
Cotentin  race  has  become  universal,  and  continues  to  make 
rapid  progress.  From  the  second  generation,  nevertheless, 
there  remains  almost  nothing  in  the  conformation  and  in 
the  quality  of  the  stock  to  show  the  cross.  It  is  only  by 
dint  of  always  crossing  with  the  Cotentin  that  Perche  has 
been  able  to  make  for  itself  her  present  passable  stock. 

The  sheep,  sufficiently  delicate  for  the  table,  are  small, 
and  form  a  degenerate  and  nameless  mixture  of  the  breeds 
of  Maine,  Caux,  and  Trennes,  crossed  for  several  years 
back  with  tlie  Merino.  They  present  the  same  conditions 
as  the  horned  animals.  Like  them,  they  are  ditficult  to 
fatten  and  are  not  lympliatic,  notwithstanding  tiie  fre- 
quent importations  of  the  heavier  and  fleshier  breeds. 

Such  predispositions  can  only  come  from  the  soil,  and 
the  constant  sway  of  the  nervous  over  the  lymphatic 
system  produces  all  the  qualities  of  the  Percheron  horse. 
This  is  why  tradition  has  painted  such  a  seductive  picture 


THE   PERCIIERON   HORSE.  91 

of  his  construction  and  qualities.  This  is  wliy  the  old  in- 
habitants, who  had  seen  that  fine  breed  before  its  degen- 
eration, speak  of  it  with  so  much  warmth.  This  is  why, 
notwithstanding  the  incredible  crossings,  it  has  withstood 
such  mixtures.  And  this  is  why  it  is  always  energetic,  in 
Sjnte  of  the  diluted  nourishment  without  tonic  properties 
which  is  given  it,  and  which  would  be  enough  to  bastardize 
a  race  with  cliaracteristics  less  fixed  and  permanent. 

Let  us,  however,  beware  of  utterly  condemning  the 
management  of  the  breeders,  and  let  us  not  entangle, 
with  an  imprudent  hand,  the  threads  of  his  traditions. 
The  horse  is  his  sole  fortune,  and  in  the  raising  of  this  aid 
of  his  agricultural  labors,  he  gains  to-day  his  livelihood. 
His  management  has  a  fixed  end  to  which  he  always  tends 
with  an  incredible  perseverance,  and  that  is  to  increase 
the  size  of  his  horses  without  prejudice  to  their  good 
qualities. 

Now  that  the  country  is  covered  with  excellent  roads 
and  highways  ;  that  railways  have  accustomed  us  to  great 
speed;  tiiat  diligences  and  mail-coaches  are  forever  gone  ; 
that  the  stylish  carriage  horse,  the  hunter,  and  the  half- 
blood,  have  reached  great  perfection,  the  rule  of  the  Per- 
cheron  is  completely  changed.  He  is  no  longer  the  hunter, 
the  saddle-horse,  nor  the  motive  power  of  heavy  wagons 
over  new  and  broken  roads  ;  he  remains  exclusively  both 
the  quick  and  mettlesome  draft-horse,  and  the  heavy 
burden  and  express  wagon  horse.  He  must  possess  superior 
strength,  speed,  docility,  temper,  and  honesty,  and  a  com- 
plete absence  of  irritability.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
after  having  listened  to  enthusiastic  advisers,  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  led  astray  by  men  too  eager  to  enjoy  the 
result  of  their  ideas,  he  to-day  is  no  longer  to  be  cajoled 
by  tlie  solicitations  of  the  amateurs  of  foreign  blood. 
The  Percheron  cultivator  does  not  wish  even  a  single 
drop  of  it,  and  exerts  himself  exclusively  in  ])roducing 
heavy  horses.     Encouraged  in  this  way  by  the  dealers  of 


92  THE    PERCHEEON   HORSE. 

all  countries,  paying  excessively  hii^h  prices  for  the  big 
and  heavy  Perclieron  horse,  while  leaving  upon  his  hands, 
without  the  offer  of  a  farthing,  the  horse  in  which  a  few 
drops  of  "blood"  can  be  perceived,  he  has  spread  his  sails 
and  stretched  them  boldly  to  catch  the  breeze  of  the  day. 

We  shall  carefully  avoid  following  the  example  of 
numerous  famous  doctors,  the  display  of  our  little  bundle 
of  receipts.  Let  it  be,  however,  permitted  us  to  touch 
again  slightly  upon  the  question  in  expressing  the  fear 
that,  should  he  not  take  care,  the  breeder  of  heavy  horses 
will  in  the  end  render  them  too  heavy  and  weighty. 
Stallions  having  a  small  touch  of  blood,  well  applied,  and 
sufficiently  latent  not  to  excite  mistrust,  having  action, 
good  limbs,  strong  loins,  and  deep  chest,  are  indispensable 
for  warming  up  the  Perclieron  blood  and  giving  it  tone. 
Look  at  Sandy ^  and  afterwards  at  Collin^  Bayard^  and 
some  others  whose  influence  was  immense.  Their  progeny, 
magnificent  in  every  respect,  did  not  show  too  much  blood 
in  their  exterior,  but  revealed  it  vigorously  by  action  and 
high  spirit.  The  crosses  which  have  best  succeeded  with 
the  Percheron  are  undoubtedly,  as  shown  by  numerous 
examples,  those  derived  themselves  from  an  oriental  cross. 
This  fact,  which  clearly  proves  that  the  Percheron  race 
has  a  great  affinity  with  the  race  of  the  desert,  should  not 
be  neglected  in  foreign  alliances. 

As  for  the  English  alliances,  these  have  not  given  as 
yet  all  the  results  promised  ;  but  from  this  nothing  must 
be  inferred  against  new  trials.  Too  much  blood  had  con- 
stantly been  used,  and  consequently  the  end  was  missed 
by  wishing  to  proceed  too  rapidly. 

Little  blood,  at  first,  but  blood  well  chosen,  from  the 
Norfolk  race,  blood  patiently  infused  into  Percheron  veins, 
is  the  means  of  triumphing  over  old  prejudices  and  open- 
ing to  this  country  an  extensive  and  successful  future. 


% 


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THE   PERCnEROX    HORSE.  \  t^      93 


CHAPTER  n.  V  ^^^ 


TRADE.  —  GLANCE   AT   THE   MOST   CELEBRATED   BREEDING 
PLACES. 

The  good  horses  arc  generally  bought  upon  the  farms, 
and  among  these  the  dealers  are  constantly  roaming.  The 
trade  of  the  whole  of  France,  and  the  numerous  and  in- 
telligent amateurs  from  aV)road,  visit  them  carefully,  beat- 
ing the  country  and  searching  it  in  all  its  farthest  corners. 
Stiil,  notwithstanding  the  purchases  there  made,  the  fairs 
are  not  wanting  in  numerous  and  good  animals.  We  will, 
like  these  strangers,  run  over  the  best  breeding  places. 

As  an  equine  country,  "  Perche,  the  land  of  good 
horses,"  is  divided  into  three  very  distinct  districts. 

That  in  which  the  colts  are  foaled — stocked  exclusively 
with  mares  and  fillies  ; 

The  district  in  which  the  male  colts  are  weaned  and 
raised  ; 

And  that  in  which  they  are  brought  to  perfection — a 
privilege  which  it  shares  with  Beauce  and  the  Chartres 
country  which  it  bounds. 

All  the  territory  north,  west,  and  south,  of  the  district 
of  Mortagne  (Orne)  comprising  the  cantons  of  Moulins, 
Bazoche,  Pervencheres,  Bellesme,  Theil,  and  part  of  Noce, 
possesses  breeding  mares  as  well  as  fillies.  In  Sarthe, 
the  canton  of  Montrairail;  those  of  Montdoubleau  and 
Droue  in  Loir-and-Cher ;  those  of  Alhiye,  Bazoche,  Cloyes, 
Authon,  Brou,  and  Nogent-le-Rotrou,  in  Eure-and-Loir,  are 
likewise  centers  where  only  fillies  and  breeding  mares  are 
to  be  met  with.  Courtalain,  on  the  south  border,  is  also 
celebrated  for  this  specialty. 

The  raising  of  male-colts  occupies  all  the  east,  center, 
and  north  of  the  district  of  Mortagne — that  is  to  say,  the 
cantons   of   Mortagne,  Tourouvre,  Lougny,  Regmalard, 


:^^ 


94  THE   PEKCHEPwON   HOKSE. 

and  part  of  Noce.  This  division,  liowever,  is  not  always 
distinctly  marked  upon  the  borders.  The  parishes  upon 
the  confines  of  each  district,  such  as  Bazoches,  Cour- 
geoust,  Pin,  Saint-Ouen,  Noce,  Berdluis,  etc.,  have  farms 
stocked  exclusively  with  fillies,  whilst  others  possess  only 
stallion  colts. 

The  region  for  the  mares  is  itself  divided  into  two  can- 
tons :  that  of  the  north  and  that  of  the  south.  The 
southern  is  the  most  renowned,  inasmuch  as  its  mares 
pass  for  having  retained  the  characters  of  the  old  Per- 
cheron  rac^e  more  closely.  It  comprises  the  cantons  outside 
the  district  of  Mortagne.     Montdoubleau  is  the  capital. 

The  northern,  enclosed  in  the  district  of  Mortagne, 
counts  three  very  distinct  varieties,  namely : 

The  pure  Percheron  races  in  the  south,  and  in  the  can- 
ton of  Bazoches ;  in  the  west,  in  the  parishes  which 
border  on  Mesle-sur-Sarthe,  mares  possessing  in  various 
degrees  some  of  English  blood,  got  from  the  government 
stud  of  Mesle-sur-Sarthe,  which  is  composed  exclusively 
of  thoroughbred  stallions ;  the  canton  of  Moulins,  in  the 
north,  nourishes  another  high-spirited  variety,  endowed 
with  excellent  action,  but  deficient  in  height.  According- 
ly it  is  more  valued  for  furnishing  good  horses  for  service 
than  for  famishing  ameliorating  types. 

The  best  centers  for  stallion  colts  are:  Regmalard, 
which  is,  if  I  may  so  say,  the  principal  place  for  good 
stallions  ;  Mauves,  which  furnished,  thirty  years  ago,  the 
famous  stallion  Jean-le-Blanc,  of  M.  Miard.  For  fillies, 
Villers-en-Ouche,  which  stocked  this  country  with  magnif- 
icent Percheron  mares ;  Yerrieres,  Corbon,  Comblot, 
Courgeou,  Loisail,  Reveillon  and  Villiers. 

As  for  the  rest  of  Perche,  it  supplies  Beauce  and  the 
Chartres  country,  on  account  of  the  great  similarity 
existing  between  the?ii.  A  country  of  transition,  it  buys 
colts  to  plow  the  fields,  keeps  them  only  a  year,  and  si41s 
them  grown  to  the  cultivators  of  Beauce,  to   be  sent  to 


THE   PERCHERON   HORSE.  95 

Paris  after  a  sojourn  of  a  year  or  so  upon  their  farms. 
The  environs  of  Courville — Chateauneuf,  BrezoUes,  La 
Loupe,  Champroud,  Tliiron,  Pontgouin,  Yerneuil,  etc. — 
are  celebrated  for  the  taste  of  its  farmers  for  fine  horses. 
Illiers,  which  formerly  possessed  this  specialty,  has  occu- 
pied itself  for  several  years  in  weaning  colts. 


CHAPTER    ni. 

SPEED    AND    BOTTOM    OF    THE    PERCHERON    HORSE. 

We  have  said  that  one  of  the  distinctive  qualities  of 
the  Percheron  horse,  and  one  which  has  won  for  him  uni- 
versal esteem,  was  fast  trotting  while  drawing  a  heavy 
load.  It  would  be,  however,  an  error  to  suppose  that  this 
faculty  of  fast  trotting  puts  him  on  a  level  with  the  blood- 
horse.  The  latter  draws  little,  it  is  true ;  but  he  has  a 
long  stride,  and,  as  regards  mere  speed,  he  beats  the 
Percheron  out  and  out.  For  the  presence  upon  the  turf 
^f  such  horses  as  Decldee  and  Sarah,  who  have  trotted 
against  blood-horses  of  the  first  order,  sometimes  honora- 
bly beaten  and  more  often  victorious,  the  presence,  I  say, 
of  such  horses,  is  but  a  happy  and  rai-e  exception. 

The  specialty  of  the  Percheron,  quick  draft,  has  then 
its  limits,  and  it  is  these  limits  that  I  wish  to  make  known 
by  means  of  numerous  examples  collected  with  care. 

What  the  Percheron  has  done  in  the  diligences,  mail 
and  post-coaches  is  known  to  everybody ;  and  it  is  useless 
to  repeat  it.  From  one  relay  to  another,  never  dragging 
less  than  two,  and  more  often  three  thousand  pounds,  in 
hot  weather  and  cold,  and  over  hilly,  difficult  roads,  he 
made  his  three  leagues  to  the  hour  easily,  and  sometimes 


96  THE   PERCHERON   HORSE. 

four ;  but  this  was  the  "  ne  plus  ultra^''  beyond  which  it 
was  not  reasonable  to  go. 

AYhat  he  does  in  the  omnibuses,  the  world  that  visits 
Paris  realizes  and  admires.  And  this  is  one  of  the  principal 
attractions  of  the  Percheron  horse  to  the  intelligent 
stranger. 

It  now  only  remains  for  us  to  follow  him  upon  the  turf 
and  sum  up  the  time  made  in  the  trots  won  by  him. 

The  courses,  for  some  time  frequented  by  him,  are  those 
of  Illiers,  Courtalain,  Montcloubleau,  and  Mortagne;  and 
here  he  is  always  to  be  found.  It  is,  also,  indispensable  to 
notice,  in  order  to  be  strictly  impartial,  that  these  tracks, 
except  the  new  one  at  Mortagne,  finished  two  years  ago, 
were  only  plowed  fields,  hard  in  dry  weather,  but  cut  up 
like  a  peat-bog  in  wet  times ;  that  the  track  of  Mor- 
tagne, as  is  well  known,  is  placed  on  a  steep  side-hill,  and 
joins  to  the  above  defect  the  one  of  ofiering  three  steep 
inclines,  up  and  down,  like  the  roof  of  a  house,  within  a 
distance  of  3,000  feet.  The  horses  which  had  done  the 
best  elsewhere  failed  on  this  track,  and  took  a  long  time 
to  make  the  distance.  It  is  to  this  circumstance  that  is  to 
be  attributed  the  low  average  time,  but  it  is  this  also 
which  shows  us  the  courage  of  the  Percheron.  When  a 
colt  of  thirty  months  (and  of  these  there  were  a  number) 
had  bravely  accomplished  his  task  and  had  gone  two  or 
three  times  around  this  killing  track,  it  could  be  boldly 
predicted  that  there  was  in  him  the  making  of  a  staunch 
and  valuable  horse.  To  all  this  let  us  add,  that  either  un- 
der saddle  or  in  harness,  the  Percheron  is  almost  always 
placed  in  an  unfavorable  situation.  Mounted,  he  is  put 
into  the  hands  of  a  youth,  ardent,  without  experience,  and 
without  calculation,  who  pushes  him  without  discretion  in 
the  beginning,  and  is  totally  ignorant  of  the  jockey's  art. 
Harnessed,  he  is  covered  with  heavy  and  inconvenient 
gear,  and  he  drags  either  a  big,  heavy-running  wagon, 
or  a  poor,  low  traveling-tilbury, 


THE    PERCHEROX   HORSE.  97 

The  folio winoj  list  shows  the  result  of  19G  trottinor 
matches,  officially  reported  upon  the  tiirf,  and  two  trials 
to  prove  bottom,  likewise  certified  with  care,  and  will  give 
an  average  of  what  the  Percheron  is  capable  of  doing 
either  upon  rugged,  cut-up,  or  hilly  tracks,  or  upon  the 
highways  of  a  densely  populated  district. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

SPEED    OF    THE    PERCHERON    HORSE. 

MOUNTED    PERCHERONS. 
IJ   MILES   29    RESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Julie^  at  Montdoubleau,  'wx 
1864,  time  3  minutes  50  seconds;  and  of  Godius,  at  the 
same  place,  in  1857,  time  3  minutes  58  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  results  'are  those  of  Yidocq,  at  Mor- 
tagne,  1865,  time  7  minutes  37  seconds ;  and  of  Lansque- 
net^ same  place,  in  1861,  time  7  minutes  48  seconds. 

The  average  time  of  29  recorded  trials  is  about  4  min- 
utes 12^  seconds. 

If   MILES   31    RESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Vaillante,  at  Mortagne,  in 
1864,  time  4  minutes  38  seconds ;  and  of  JuUe^  at  Mont- 
doubleau, in  1864,  time  6  minutes  14  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  are  those  of  Mouche,  at  Mortagne,  in 
1855,  time  9  minutes  18  seconds  ;  and  of  £iche,  at  Mor- 
tagne, in  1855,  time  8  minutes  30  seconds. 

The  average  time  of  31  trials  is  about  6  minutes  40 
seconds. 


98                                    THE    PERCHERON   HORSE. 
2   MILES   40    RESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Cocotte^  at  Illiers,  in  1861, 
time  6  niinntes  5^  seconds ;  and  of  Sarah^  at  the  same 
l^laee,  in  1865,  time  6  mmutes  2  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  are  those  of  Balzane,  at  Illiers,  in 
1859,  time  9  minutes  40  seconds ;  and  of  Renaud^  at  the 
same  place,  in  1850,  time  10  minutes  30  seconds. 

The  average  time  of  40  tiials  is  about  7  minutes  20 
seconds. 

2^   MILES    65    RESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Sarah,  at  Langou,  in  1865, 
time  7  minutes  35  seconds ;  and  of  the  same  at  Mortagne, 
in  1865,  time  7  minutes  40  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  are  those  of  Marmotte^  at  Mortagne, 
in  1865,  time  13  minutes  26  seconds;  and  oi  Julie ^  at 
Courtalain,  in  1863,  time  11  minutes  30  seconds. 

The  average  time  of  65  trials  is  about  9  minutes  15 
seconds. 


2|  miles  were  made  at  Illiers,  by  Bichette^  in  1860,  in  12 
minutes  15  seconds. 

2|  miles  at  the  same  place  were  made  three  times,  and 
gave  an  average  of  11  minutes  25  seconds. 

3f  miles  at  the  same  place  were  made  by  Champion,  in 
1857,  in  12  minutes. 

HARNESSED    PERCHERONS. 

J  of  a  mile  was  trotted  to  harness  in  1855,  at  Bethune, 
by  Grise,  in  4  minutes  2  seconds. 

1^  miles  Avere  made  at  Mortagne,  in  1856,  by  Battrape^ 
in  5  minutes  4  seconds. 


THE    PEliCIlEROX    nORSE.  99 

2    MILES    8   EESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Achille^  at  Uliers,  in  1865, 
time  7  minutes  17  seconds ;  and  of  Julie,  at  Illiers,  in 
1863,  time  7  minutes  40^  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  are  those  of  Champio)niet,  at  Illiers, 
1858,  time  7  minutes  53  seconds;  and  of  Bichette,  at  Il- 
liers, in  1849,  time  8  minutes  13  seconds. 

The  average  of  eight  trials  is  about  7  minutes  36  sec- 
onds. 

2^   MILES   14   RESULTS. 

The  best  two  are  those  of  Yigoreux,  at  Illiers,  in  1851, 
time  8  minutes  30  seconds ;  and  of  £iM,  at  Mortagne,  in 
1865,  time  9  minutes  54  seconds. 

The  poorest  two  are  those  of  Bichette,  at  Courtalaiii, 
in  1860,  time  11  minutes  30  seconds ;  and  of  Artagna/i, 
at  Mortagne,  in  1850,  time  11  minutes  55  seconds. 

21    MILES   LOADED. 

Two  trials  were  made  at  Rouen,  by  Becidee : 
The  first  time  in  1864,  drawing  386  pounds,  2f  miles  in 
9  minutes  21  seconds;    the  second  time,  in  1865,  drawing 
408  pounds  the  same  distance,  10  minutes  49  seconds. 


CHAPTER    V. 

ENDURANCE    OF    THE    PERCHERON    HORSE. 

A  gray  mare  bred  by  M.  Beaulavoris,  at  Almenesches, 
(Orne),  in  1845,  belonging  to  M.  Montreuil,  horse  dealer 
at  Alen9on,  performed  the  following  match  :  —  Harnessed 
to  a  traveling-tilbury,  she  started  from  Bernay  at  the 
same  time  as  the  mail  courier  from  Rouen  to  Bordeaux, 


IGO  THE   PERCHERON    HORSE. 

and  arrived  before  it  at  Alen9on,  having  made  55^  miles 
over  a  hilly  and  difficult  road,  in  4  hours  and  24  minutes. 

This  mare  is  still  living,  and  now  belongs  to  M.  Buis- 
son,  hotel  keeper  at  the  sign  of  the  White  Horse,  at  L6cs, 
(Orne),  where  she  still  draws  the  omnibus  plying  between 
the  railroad  station  and  the  hotel. 

A  gray  mare  7  yenrs  old,  belonging  to  M.  Consturier, 
of  Fleury-sur-Andelle,  (Euro),  in  1864,  harnessed  to  a  til- 
bury, travelled  58  miles  and  back  on  two  consecutive 
days,  going  at  a  trot  and  without  being  touched  with  the 
whip.  This  was  over  the  road  from  Lyons-la-Foret  ft'om 
Pont  Audemer,  and  back,  a  difficult  and  hilly  way.  The 
following  time  was  made:  The  first  day  the  distance  was 
trotted  in  4  hours,  1  minute,  and  35  seconds;  the  second 
day,  in  4  hours,  1  minute,  and  30  seconds.  The  13|  la^t 
miles  were  made  in  one  Jiour^  although  at  about  the  41st 
mile  the  mare  was  obliged  to  pass  her  stable  to  finish  the 
distance. 


GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT, 

In  the  Market  and  Family  G-arden. 
By  Peter  Henderson. 

This  is  the  first  work  on  Market  Gardening  ever  published  m  this 
country.  Its  author  is  well  known  as  a  market  gardener  of  eighteen 
years'  successful  experience.  In  this  work  he  has  recorded  this 
experience,  and  given,  without  reservation,  the  methods  necessary 
to  the  profitable  culture  of  the  commercial  or 

It  is  a  work  for  which  there  has  long  been  a  demand,  and  one 
which  will  commend  itself,  not  only  to  those  who  grow  vegetables 
for  sale,  but  to  the  cultivator  of  the 

FAMILY  GAEDEN, 

to  whom  it  presents  methods  quite  difi*erent  from  the  old  ones  gen- 
erally practiced.  It  is  an  original  and  purely  American  work,  and 
not  made  up,  as  books  on  gardening  too  often  are,  by  quotations 
from  foreign  authors. 

Every  thing  is  made  perfectly  plain,  and  the  subject  treated  in  all 
its  details,  fi-om  the  selection  of  the  soil  to  preparing  the  products 
for  market. 

CONTENTS. 

Men  fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening, 

The  Amoiint  of  Capital  Kequired,  and 

"Working  jb'orce  per  Acre. 

Profits  of  Market  Gardening. 

liooation,  Situation,  and  Laying  Out. 

Soils,  Drainage,  and  Preparation. 

Manures,  Implements. 

17866  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames. 

Formation  and  Management  of  Hot-bed«. 

Forcing  Pits  or  Green-houses. 

Seeds  and  Seed  Baising. 

How,  When,  and  "WTiere  to  Sow  Seeds. 

Transplanting,  Insects. 

Packing  of  Vegetables  for  Shipping. 

Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  "Winter. 

Vegetables,  their  Varieties  and  Cultivation. 

Tn  the  last  chapter,  the  most  valuable  kinds  are  described,  and 
the  culture  proper  to  each  is  given  in  detail. 

Sent    post-paid,    price  $1.90. 
ORANGE    JTJLP    &    CO.,    245    Broadway,    ITew-Tork. 


NEW   AND    BEAUTIFUL    WORK. 


BY 

JOSIAH  HOOPES,  Westchester,  Pa. 


INCLUDING 


Propagation,  Cultivation,  Description  of  Varieties,  and 
their  Adaptability  to  Different  Situations. 


This  is  a  long-needed  work,  as  in  it  the  present  state  of  oar  knowledge 
upon  the  cone-hearing  plants,  or  Coniferae  of  the  hotanist,  is  posted  up.  Mr. 
Hoopes  is  one  of  those  persons  rarely  met  with— a  practical  cultivator,  and  a 
man  of  science  at  the  same  time.  While  his  work  gives  us  all  the  Coniferae 
arranged  in  the  classiiication  of  the  botanist,  it  at  the  same  time  treats  of  the 
experience,  not  only  of  the  author,  but  of  American  cultivators  generally, 
with  this  large  and  important  family  of  plants. 

Evergreens  play  so  interesting  a  part,  not  only  in  ornamental  planting,  but 
in  what  may  be  termed  economical  planting,  (i.  e.  hedges,  screens,  wind- 
breaks, etc.,)  that  we  are  sure  a  work  which  treats  of  their  propagation  and 
culture,  describes  in  both  popular  and  scientific  language  the  many  species, 
and,  what  is  of  not  the  least  importance,  gives  a  list  of  the  tender  and  un- 
reliable ones,  will  be  warmly  welcomed  by  every  lover  of  these  beautiful 
trees. 

Mr.  Koopes  brings  to  his  work  a  perfect  enthusiasm  for  his  subject,  and 
is  as  free  to  condemn  a  plant  as  if  he  were  not  a  nurseryman.  All  the  latest 
novelties  from  Japan,  the  Northwest,  etc.,  are  noticed,  and  their  success  or 
failure,  both  in  this  country  and  in  England,  is  recorded. 

The  work  is  abundantly  illustrated  with  most  carefully  executed  engrav- 
ings, for  the  greater  part  from  living  specimens. 

We  must  commend  the  conscientious  care  the  author  has  shown  ia  striving 
to  arrive  at  the  proper  names ;  and  doubtless  much  of  the  confasion  that  at 
present  exists  in  respect  to  names  among  both  dealers  and  growers,  will  be 
corrected  now  that  they  have  a  standard  work  to  refer  to. 

Not  the  least  interesting  portion  of  the  book  is  an  account  of  the  princip«l 
collections  of  evergreens  in  the  country. 

The  work  contains  435  pages,  12mo,  on  fine  paper. 

Sent  post-paid.   Price,  $3.00. 

ORAMCE    JUDD    &    CO., 

24:5  Broadway,  N'ew-Tork  City, 


VALUABLE   AND    BEAUTIFUL   WORK. 


HARRIS' 

Insects   Injurious   to  Vegetation. 

BT  THE  LATE 

THADDEUS  WILLIAM  HARRIS,  M.D. 

A  New  Edition,  enlarged  and  improved,  with  additions  from  the  author'! 
manuscripts  and  original  notes. 
Illustrated  by  engravings  drawn  from  nature  under  the  supervision  of 

Edited  by  CHARLES  L.  FLINT, 
Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

CHAPTER    !. 

INTRODUCTION.— Insects  Defined— Brain  and  Nerves— Air-Pipes  and  Breath- 
ing-Holes—Heart and  Blood— Metamorphoses  or  Transformations — 
Classification ;  Orders  and  Groups. 

CHAPTER    I). 

COLEOPTERA— Beetles— Scarabfeians-Ground-Beetlea— Tree-Beetles— Cock- 
chafers—Flower,  Stag,  Spring,  Timber,  Capricorn,  Leaf-mining,  and  Tor- 
toise Beetles — Chrysomelians— Cantharides. 

CHAPTER    III. 

ORTHOPTERA.— Earwigs  — Cockroaches-  -  Soothsayers  — Walking-sticks  or 
Spectres — Mole,  Field,  Climbing,  and  Wingless  Crickets— Grasshoppers — 
Katydid— Locusts. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

HEMIPTERA.— Bugs— Squash-Bug— Clinch-Bug— Plant  Bugs- Harvest  Flies— 
Tree-Hoppers— Vine-Hoppers — Plant-Lice — American  Blight— Bark-Lice. 

CHAPTER    V. 

LEPIDOPTERA.— Caterpillars— Butterflies  — Skippers  — Hawk-Mothe-^ge- 
rians  or  Boring  Caterpillars — Moths— Cut-Worms-Span-Worms — Leaf- 
Rollers — ^Fruit,  Bee,  Corn,  Clothes,  and  Feather-Winged  Moths. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

HYMENOPTERA.— Stingers  and  Piercers— Saw-Flies  and  Slugs— Elm,  Fir, 
and  Vine  Saw-Fly  —  Rose-Bush  and  Pear-Tree  Slugs  —  Horn-Tailed 
Wood-Wasps— Gall-Flies— Barley  Insect  and  Joint  Worm. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

DiPTERA.— Gnats   and   Flies— Maggots    and   their    Transformations— Gail 
Gnats— Hessian,  Wheat,  and  Radish  Flies— Two-Winged  Gall-Flies,  anj* 
Fruit-Flies. 
KPPENOIX.— The  Army  Worm. 

Published  in  two  beautifal  editions  ;  one  plain,  with  steel  engravings,  8vo, 
extra  cloth,  $4  ;  the  other  in  extra  cloth,  beveled  boards,  red  edges,  engrav- 
ings colored  with  great  accuracy,  ^6. 
Sent  post-paid  on  receipt  of  price. 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO., 

245  Broadway.  New- York  City 


DARWIN'S  NEW  WORK. 


THE    VAIilATIOT^ 


ANIMALS  AND  PLANTS 

UNDER     DOMESTICATION. 

BT 

CIIA.RLES     TyAJR^V^lN^     JSl.J^.,     m.R.S.,     ETC. 

AUTHORIZED   EDITION. 

TTKriTJEaC      -A.      3E=»  DFt  DE3  IE* -A.  CJ  El 

BT 

PROFESSOR    ASA    GRAY. 

This  work  treats  of  the  variations  in  our  domestic  animals  and  cultivated 
plants,  discussing-  the  circumstances  that  influence  these  variations,  inherit- 
ance of  peculiarities,  results  of  in-and-in  breeding,  crossing,  etc. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  of  the  present  day,  presenting  an 
array  of  facts  that  sliow  the  most  extraordinary  amount  of  observation  and 
"esearch.  All  the  domestic  animals,  from  horses  and  cattle  to  canary-birds  and 
noney-bees,  are  discussed,  as  well  as  our  leading  culinary  and  other  plants, 
making  it  a  work  of  the  greatest  interest. 

Its  importance  to  agriculturists,  breeders,  scientific  men,  and  the  general 
reader  will  be  seen  by  its  scope  as  indicated  in  the  following  partial  enumera- 
tion of  its  contents  TPigs,  Cattle,  Sheep,  Goats  ;  Dogs  and  Cats.  Horses 
AND  Asses  ;  Domestic  Rabbits  ;  Domestic  Pigeons  ;  Fowls,  Ducks,  Geesk, 
Peacock,  Turkey,  Guinea  Fowl,  Canary-bird,  Gold-pish  ;  Hive-bees  ; 
Silk-moths.  Cultivated  Plants  ;  Cereal  and  Culinary  Plants  ;  Fruits, 
Ornamental  Trees,  Flowers,  Bud  Variation.  Inheritance,  Reversion 
OR  Atavism,  Crossing.  On  the  Good  Effects  of  Crossing,  and  on  thb 
Evil  Effects  op  Close  Interbreeding.  Selection.  Causes  op  Variabil- 
ity, Laws  op  Variation,  etc,  eto. 

PublisJied  in  Two  Volumes  of  nearly  1100  pages. 
SENT  POST-PAED, PRICE,  $6.00. 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO., 

245   Broadway,    New -York   City 


AMERICAN     POMOLOGY 
APPLES. 

I?y    I3oct.  JOHN     A.  AVAnOETi. 

raK«5tT)BNr  OUIO  POMOLOOICAL,  SOCIETT;  TtCE-PBBSIDBNT  AMEKICAN  POMOLOQIOAi 

SOCIETY. 

SOS    II.I.lJSTRATIO.^S. 

This  voluine  has  about  750  pages,  the  first  375  of  which  are  de 
voted  to  the  discussion  of  the  general  subjects  of  propagation,  nur- 
sery culture,  selection  and  planting,  cultivation  of  orchards,  care  of 
fruit,  insects,  and  the  like ;  tlie  remainder  is  occupied  with  descrip- 
tions of  apples.  With  the  richness  of  material  at  hand,  the  trouble 
was  to  decide  what  to  leave  out.  It  will  be  found  that  while  tlie 
old  and  standard  varieties  are  not  neglected,  the  new  and  promising 
Borts,  especially  those  of  the  South  and  West,  have  prominence. 
A  list  of  selections  for  different  localities  by  eminent  orchardists  is 
a  valuable  portion  of  the  volume,  while  the  Analytical  Index  or 
Catalogue  Raisonne,  as  the  French  would  say,  is  the  most  extended 
American  fruit  list  ever  published,  and  gives  evidence  of  a  Jarful 
amount  of  labor. 

CONTENTS. 

Chapter  I.— INTRODUCTORT. 

Cliapfer         II HISTORY   OF   THE    APPL.E. 

Chapter        III PROPAGATION. 

Buds  and  Cuttinga-Grafting— Budding— The  Nureery. 

Chapter        TV DWARFING. 

Chapter  V — DISEASES. 

Chapter       VI.— THE    SITE    FOR    AN    ORCHARD. 

Chapter      Vli .-PREPARATION  OF  SOIL.  FOR  AN  ORCHARD. 

Chapter   VIII.— SELECTION   AND    PLANTING. 

Chapter        IX.— CULTURE,  Etc. 

Chapter  X.— PHILOSOPHY    OP    PRUNING. 

Chapter       XI.— THINNING. 

Chapter     XII.-RIPENING   AND   PRESERVING    FRUITS. 

Chapter  XIII  and  XIV.— INSECTS. 

Chapter     XV.-CHARACTERS      OF       FRUITS      AND      THEIR 
VALUE— TERMS   USED. 

Chapter    XVI.— CLASSIFICATION. 

Necessity  for— Basis  of— Characters— Shape— Its  RegQ. 
larity— Flavor— Color— Their  several  Values,  etc.  De- 
scription of  Apples, 

Chapter  XVII.-FRUIT    LISTS -CATALOGUE   AND  INDEX  OP 
FRUITS. 

Sent  Post-Paid.  .      fnce  $3.00. 

OEANGE    JUDD    &    CO.,    245    Broadway,    New-York. 


HE    AMERLOAK 

I   Am 

FOR     1868. 


A.    "Year-Book 
ITirsLnted   "by   Elverybody. 

Tills  volume  is  now  ready,  and  contains  mucli  of  interest  to 
every  agriculturist.  Besides  the  general  record  of  agricultural 
progress,  it  has  a  valuable  article  on 

Factory   I>airy   Practice, 

By  Gakdneb  B.  Weeks,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  tlie  American  Dairy- 
men's Association,  in  which  he  discusses  the  reasons  for  the  best 
practice  and  the  most  approved  apparatus,  buildings,  etc.,  fully  il- 
lustrated, and  is  equally  interesting  to  the  practical  dairyman  and 
%o  thd  novice. 

Sewer§   and    Eartli-Closets 

In  tlmr  relations  to  Agriculture,  by  Col.  Geo.  E.  Wamng,  Jr. 
Winter   ^Vbeat, 

Describing,  with  engravings,  new  and  valuable  varieties  by  Joseph 
Harkis  and  John  Johnston  ;  an  article  upon 

Scythes   and   Cradles, 

By  John  W.  Douglas,  (fully  illustrated ;)  also  articles  on  Horse- 
Breaking  and  on  Bitting  Colts,  by  Sam'l  F.  Headlt,  Esq.,  (il- 
lustrated ;)  on  Recent  Progress  In  Agricultupal  Science,  by  Prof 
S.  W.  Johnson  ;  on  Commercial  Fertilizers,  Veterinary  Medicine 
and  Jurisprudence,  Progress  of  Invention  Aflfecting  Agriculture, 
Valuable  Tables  for  Farmers  and  others,  etc. 

It  is  intended  that  the  work  shall  be  practical,  excellent  in  the 
beauty  of  its  illustrations,  and  in  its  adaptation  to  the  wants  of 
American  Farmers,  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  heretofore 
published. 

In  its  general  features  it  is  like  the  Agricultural  Annual  for  1867, 
containing  an  Almanac  and  Calendar,  and  there  will  be  added  a 
list  of  dealers  in  Agricultural  Implements,  Seeds,  etc.  Sent  poet- 
paid.    Price,  fancy  paper  covers,  50  cts. ;  cloth,  75  cts. 

OIIANGE   JUDD   &  CO., 

245   Broadway,   New-York. 


THE    AMEEIGAN 


FOR     1868. 


_A.    Year-33ook 
FOR    SVSRT    KOMS. 

Tlie  second  number  of  tliia  serial  is  now  ready.  It  contains  & 
popular  record  of  horticultural  progress  during  the  past  year, 
besides  valuable  articles  from 

EMINENT    HORTICULTURISTS. 

Among  those  who  contributed  to  its  pages  are 


Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder, 
Peter  Hendersoit, 
Thomas  Meehak, 
josiah  hoopes, 
Wm  S.  Carpenter, 
George  W.  Campbell, 
Doctor  Van  Keuren, 


Doctor  John  A.  Warder, 
S.  B.  Parsons, 
Ja8.  J.  H.  Gregory, 
George  Such, 
Andrew  S.  Fuller, 
John  Saul, 

jAilES  ViCK, 


and  other  well-known  pomological  and  floricultural  writers. 

The  engravings,  which  have  been  prepared  expressly  for  the 
work,  are  numerous,  and  make  it  the 


MOST    BEAUTIFULLY    ILLUSTRATED 

work  of  its  Kind  ever  published  in  this  or  any  other  country.  It 
contains  Tables,  Lists  of  Nurserymen,  Seedsmen,  and  Florists,  and 
other  useful  matters  of  reference.  Sent  post-paid.  Price,  fancy 
paper  covers,  50  cts  ;  cloth,  75  cts. 

ORANGE   JUDD   &   CO., 

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[Kstabllshed  In  1842.] 

A  Good,  Cheap,   and  very  Valuable  Paper  for 
Every  Man,  Woman  and  Child, 

IN  CITY,  VILLAGE  a  n  d   C  0  U  iN  T  R  ¥, 

AMERICAN   AGRICULTURIST, 

FOR    THE 

FARM,  GARDEN  AND  HOUSEHOLD, 

Including  a  Special   Department  of  Interesting  and 

Instructive  Reading  for  CHILDREN  and  YOUTH. 

The  Agriculturist  is  a  large  periodical  of  TTiirty-hco  pages,  quarto,  not  octavo, 
beautifully  printed,  and  filled  with  plain,  practical,  reliable,  original  matter,  includ- 
ing hundreds  of  beautiful  and  Instructive  Sngravings  In  every  annual  volume. 

It  contains  each  month  a  Calendar  of  Operations  to  be  performed  on  the  Farni, 
la  the  Orcliard  and  Garden,  in  and  around  the  Dwellixig,  etc. 

The  thousands  of  hints  and  su<jgestions  given  in  every  volume  are  prepared  by  prac- 
tical, intelUgent  -vvorlciiis  men,  who  know  what  they  talk  and  write  about.  The 
•rticles  are  thoroughly  edited,  and  every  way  reliable. 

The  Household  Department  is  valuable  to  every  Housekeeper,  affording 
very  many  useful  hints  and  directions  calculated  to  ligliten  and  facilitate  in-door  work. 

The  Department  for  Cliildren  and  Youth,  is  prepared  with  special  care 
not  only  to  amuse,  but  also  to  inculcate  knowledge  and  sound  moral  principles. 

Terms.— The  circulation  of  the  American  Agricultu^st,  (about  150,000)13  80 
large  that  It  can  be  furnished  at  tlie  low  price  of  $1.50  a  year ;  four  copies,  one  year,  for 
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copies,  15  cects  each.   An  extra  copy  to  the  one  furnishing  a  club  of  ten  or  twenty. 

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